Death crash coach driver jailed

Nov 26 2008

A National Express coach driver who caused a terrifying crash which left three passengers dead while giving a safety announcement as he sped around a bend has been jailed for five years.

Philip Rooney, 49, was speaking over the vehicle's public address system while trying to negotiate a 40mph bend at 55mph when he lost control.

Father of three Rooney, of Larkshill Drive, Carluke, Scotland, was also banned from driving for three years at Oxford Crown Court after pleading guilty to three counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

The court heard the double-decker coach carrying 69 passengers overturned and skidded along on its side on the M4/M25 slip road near Heathrow Airport.

Rooney was driving like he was "possessed" before the crash - probably in a bid to make up for lost time following a delay caused by a luggage problem, a judge was told.

Many of those on the overnight London to Aberdeen service had to be cut from the wreckage on January 3 last year.

Christina Toner, 76, from Dundee, and 30-year-old Yi Di Lin, a Chinese national, died following the crash.

John Carruthers, 78, of Chertsey, Surrey, died six months later in hospital.

Another 65 people were injured, including four who had to have amputations and 19 who suffered fractures.