Four died in 100mph stolen BMW crash, Hull inquest told

A stolen BMW was being driven at about 100mph (160km/h) the wrong way on a dual carriageway when it crashed into an oncoming vehicle, killing a “devoted” mum, a court heard.

An inquest into the fatal collision on the A63 in East Yorkshire on the night of 22 November 2021 was opened at Hull Coroner’s Court on Monday.

Alison Clark, 43, was pronounced dead at the scene and the three men in the stolen car – Samuel Connors, 20, William Harty, 20, and Lawrence James, 21 – also died as result of the crash.

Jurors were asked by coroner Ian Sprakes to consider Humberside Police’s involvement in the collision as the stolen car was being pursued by officers shortly before it entered the wrong carriageway of the A63.

On the first day of the hearing, tributes were paid to Mrs Clark and jurors heard about her contribution to the local community in Elloughton.

The mother-of-one had set up the Good Grief bereavement walking club following her father’s death and had taken part in a walking event on the day she was killed.

In statements read to the court by family friend Geoff Ogden, Mrs Clark’s husband, Rob, said his wife was devoted to their daughter, Emily, who was nine at the time of the crash.

Mrs Clark put her “heart and soul” into her local community, especially the local church in Elloughton and chaired the Friends of Elloughton School Association, her husband said.

Mr Clark said in his statement: “As a person of charity and community she touched many.”

“So many are in pain. I’ve heard her called ‘my best friend’ so many times.”

Mr Clark said his wife’s death had had a profound effect on their daughter, leaving “an immeasurable hole in her young life”.

He said “Emily was Alison’s world, and mummy was Emily’s world” and the way in which she was “taken from me” will “haunt me for the rest of my life”.

The inquest heard how Mr Connors was resuscitated at the scene of the crash but died in hospital of “very severe” brain injuries on 27 November 2021 after being taken off life support.

A paramedic who had treated Mr Connors at the scene described how he had been “dragged out of a burning car”.

Paramedics had tried to resuscitate Mr Harty and Mr James, who were described as having been thrown from the vehicle on impact, but both were pronounced dead at the scene.

A toxicology report suggested Mr Connors potentially had traces of ketamine, cannabis and cocaine in his system at the time of the collision, but it had not been possible to confirm this.

Toxicologist Dr Stephen Morley said he could not tell whether this had contributed to the circumstances of the collision.

No relatives of Mr Connors, Mr Harty or Mr James, all from Leeds, were present in court on Monday and they were not represented at the inquest.

Mr Sprakes said the BMW had been stolen in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, on 12 November 2021 and came to the attention of police in Hull on the evening of 22 November because it was displaying false number plates.

The coroner said Mr Connors, Mr Harty and Mr James were believed to have been involved in the theft of catalytic converters from cars.

He described the police attempts to follow and stop the vehicle as it travelled out of Hull on the A63 “at speed” – appearing to be forcing other motorists off the road.

After speeding through North Ferriby and a red light, the car turned into an industrial estate in Melton where it came into contact with an unmarked police car which was trying to prevent it from leaving a dead end outside Melton police station.

Mr Sprakes said the police abandoned the authorised pursuit when the BMW went the wrong way around the Monks Way roundabout and entered the slip road towards the westbound carriageway of the A63 and headed east towards Hull.

The coroner told the jury the inquest may consider a number of issues, including the police tactics around the pursuit of the BMW and whether Humberside Police “caused or contributed to” the fatal collision.

He said another question for the inquest may be to determine which of the three men in the BMW was driving at the time of the crash.

An Independent Office of Police Conduct report into Humberside Police’s involvement with the incident is due to be published after the conclusion of the inquest.

The inquest is expected to last 10 days.