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Icy road was a ‘death trap’ — inquest
9:04am Friday 27th August 2010
A ROAD was branded a “death trap” just hours before a driver was killed on it.

Peter Townsend was driving on the A6 in Blackrod and made the comment to passengers the night before the smash which claimed the life of Barry Britton.
Mr Britton, aged 48, was killed when three cars collided with a bus after losing control on a patch of frozen water on the road at 7.15am on November 25, 2008.

An inquest at Bolton Coroners Court heard that the night before the crash, Mr Townsend, who had been to Middlebrook and was returning to his home in Adlington at about 10pm, told the inquest: “There was surface water on the road and I would take extra care because I knew it was like that.
“The temperature was plummeting and when I went through the water my traction came on.
“I had two passengers with me and I made a comment that it was a death trap and unfortunately it came true sooner than I thought.”
The court was told that water would run off waste land and collect on the road. It had frozen, despite the road being gritted at about 7pm the day before, and a BMW travelling towards Adlington lost control and collided with a bus travelling towards Westhoughton the following morning.
Seconds later, a Renault Megane travelling towards Adlington lost control on the same patch and collided with the other vehicles, shortly followed by a Saab being driven by Mr Britton, who sustained fatal injuries.
Sgt Christopher Noblett, who investigated the crash, said he was familiar with the road and said there had been a problem with water running on to the road for 30 years.
He said none of the drivers were at fault and could not have prevented the crash
He said: “There was a considerable build up of ice in a very localised area.
“A number of the grids were defective and the carriageway lies lower than the kerbside and that is why the water runs across.
“There was evidence of gritting but with a situation like this where there is considerable water, the grit that was spread was ineffective in that area.”

David Eccles, a solicitor representing Bolton Council, said the road is due to be resurfaced.
Eddie O’Brien, a who drove the gritter on the A6 the night before the crash, said: “The day after the accident I was mortified and went through it in my mind a thousand times but I know I did grit it.”
The inquest continues today.