The incident left two people with serious injuries
A van driver has been banned from the roads after her vehicle ploughed into a layby, leaving two people seriously injured. Tracey Hosker, 35, was behind the wheel of a box van on the A34 southbound, heading to a port before travelling abroad when the brakes failed.
The shocking incident, captured on dashcam footage, shows the lorry crashing into the layby and colliding with two parked cars on January 11 last year. The court heard that both victims sustained serious injuries in the crash.
Hosker, from Windmill Hill, Runcorn, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving on the A34 between the Peartree and Botley interchanges in Oxford. Earlier this year at Oxford Crown Court, she received a 22-month suspended sentence and a four-year driving ban.
In addition to her sentence, Hosker will have to pass an extended re-test before she can drive again and must complete 10 days of community service. Thames Valley Police released the video as part of a warning to drivers and vehicle exporters following a series of roadside stops and convictions involving vehicles en route to Southampton Port.
The force revealed that some vehicles stopped were found to be in a dangerous condition, posing a significant risk. Defects included severely worn or damaged tyres, overloaded and corroded vehicles, faulty brakes and broken windscreen wipers.
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Police sergeant Paul Diamond, from the Joint Operations Commercial Vehicle Unit, warned: “Drivers and exporters must understand that exemptions do not mean immunity from road safety laws. The risks posed by these defective vehicles are significant, not just to the drivers themselves, but to everyone sharing the road.
“Thames Valley Police continues to work with partner agencies to identify and stop unsafe vehicles before they reach the port.
“Anyone with information about unsafe vehicle movements or concerns about road safety is encouraged to contact police via the non-emergency number 101 or report online.”