Five killed in M4 horror smash named

James Stafford, 69, and his wife Bridget, 70, of Thornton Heath, south London, were killed when their car was hit by a vehicle travelling in the wrong direction along the M4 in Newport, south Wales.

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Three young men travelling in the other vehicle, a red Ford Mondeo, also died at the scene. Their car had been followed by police, but the pursuit ended once the car drove onto the motorway.

They have been named as Christopher Stuart Anthony Beresford, 18, and Lee Andrew Maggs, 26, both from the Duffryn area of Newport, and Sam Michael Case, 19, from the Maindee area of the city.

The only survivor of the crash, an 18-year-old man, remains in a critical condition at the Royal Gwent Hospital with multiple fractures.

The collision, which is being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), happened shortly after 3am yesterday.

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The Mondeo collided with the Staffords' Volvo 940 after speeding the wrong way along the M4 following a police pursuit.

The couple had spent the summer on their native Achill Island, off Co Mayo, Ireland, and were returning home when the crash happened.

Achill priest Father Tom Kearney said relatives and friends were devastated.

"It's a big blow to the community. James and Bridget spent their holidays on Achill every summer and had just said their goodbyes on Sunday morning," he said.

"I visited close family members in their homes yesterday, including James' mother, to console them in their grief. It will be up to relatives whether they decide to bring the bodies back to Achill for burial."

In Newport, the family of Mr Beresford declined to comment.

Councillor Trevor Watkins, who lives on the same street as the family, said residents were shocked by the tragedy.

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"The news has hit the estate hard," said Mr Watkins. "It seems that youngsters don't seem to learn from the lessons of other people.

"I feel sorry for the other couple as well who were innocent parties. Unfortunately today, some youngsters don't seem to realise the consequences of their actions."

He added: "Christopher was like every other lad. He enjoyed life.

"I know his family better and I feel very sorry for them.

"The Beresford family are a nice family who helped with community projects on the estate."

More than 30 floral tributes have been laid on a bridge running over the M4 just a few hundred metres from the crash scene.

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One read: "My babby boy Sam, I cannot live without you. Please wait there for me. I will be with you soon. Mum and Dad."

Another said: "I can't believe you're gone; but only in sight, memories will always be strong! You may be gone but you will always be remembered. Good night and sleep tight, lots of love Wayney, Sarah and the crazy 1, Tiana."

Jason Rogers, 35, from nearby St Julians, was among those laying flowers.

He said: "Christopher was as good as gold. I used to live behind him on Duffryn and I'm here to pay my respects.

"I heard the sirens when the accident happened but I didn't really pay any attention to what was going on.

"Christopher's brother Craig will be devastated because he always looked up to his older brother."

He added: "I knew all the boys involved but I knew Christopher the best. I only saw Sam the other night at a petrol station. He was asking how my car was and we were just chatting generally."

All the post mortem examinations are expected to be concluded today.

IPCC Commissioner for Wales Tom Davies said: "The loss of five lives is a tragedy for all the family and friends of the deceased and our condolences go to them.

"We must not lose sight that this was also a traumatic event for the police officers involved, and the members of the other emergency services who attended this terrible accident.

"At a time appropriate to the families of the deceased I will be making arrangements to meet them to explain myself the IPCC role and what they can expect from our independent investigation.

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"I also want to assure the public that when an incident occurs involving the police that involves death or serious injury the IPCC must be involved by law, and has to independently investigate the circumstances.

"In due course we will prepare a report for the coroner's inquest into the cause of death. Our investigation will also examine the conduct of police officers and whether their actions were appropriate and proportionate."

The IPCC independent investigation has now taken possession of all the evidence collected by Gwent Police in the hours immediately following the crash.

CCTV and video footage has been secured, as well as call logs and other police communication information. A Gwent Police spokeswoman said that pursuit of a vehicle followed an incident in Penhow, between Caldicot and Newport.

She said officers attempted to stop a vehicle on the A48 after it was made aware of suspicious activity. The pursuit ended, she said, when the other vehicle entered the M4 in the wrong direction.

Anyone who has any information about the circumstances of the crash can contact the IPCC in confidence on freephone 0800 096 9076 or email m4newport-incident@ipcc.gov.uk