A lorry driver who killed a “one in a billion” police officer when his truck strayed on to the hard shoulder of a motorway has been jailed for two years and nine months.
Andrew Abernethy’s truck left the M1 near Wakefield, trapping Pc Mark Goodlad between his police car and another vehicle, Leeds Crown Court heard today. (Nov 22)
Pc Goodlad was helping a stranded woman motorist with a flat tyre at the time.
A judge heard that Abernethy, 45, of Rembrandt Walk, Oldham, was driving an orange Scania articulated lorry which hit Pc Goodlad’s marked BMW X5 police car and a grey Suzuki Swift on the southbound carriageway of the M1, near the village of Crigglestone, in October last year.
The police car and the Suzuki were both stationary on the hard shoulder and officers said Pc Goodlad, 41, was between the two vehicles, helping the 51-year-old woman, Sharon Burgess.
Abernethy admitted causing death by dangerous driving.