Tourist was killed in collision on A66 in North Yorkshire by horsebox lorry which had defective brakes

Kerstin Hanke, 55, and her husband Thomas were pulling out of a side road from the village of Ravensworth, near Richmond, onto the busy A66 at a ‘notorious accident black spot’ during a holiday to England in March 2019.

Their German-registered VW Touran was struck by a Scania HGV as they attempted a right turn and passenger Mrs Hanke died at the scene, while driver Mr Hanke is now in a rehabilitation unit and needs round-the-clock care. The couple, who were both nursing managers, met as students and have two children.

The lorry was hauling a horsebox trailer and had travelled from Northern Ireland to Germany before returning empty via Hull Docks. It was driven by Daniel Flynn but the trailer’s owner, Nathan Greene, 35, of Hillsborough, County Down, was travelling in the cab with him. It was Greene who was later charged with causing death by dangerous driving, but he was acquitted at York Crown Court when the prosecution offered no evidence against him.

The inquest heard that the Hankes were visiting England with two German friends, and stayed in a cottage in Kirby Hill while enjoying trips to Hadrian’s Wall and Fountains Abbey. On the morning of the collision, they were heading for breakfast at Mainsgill Farm Shop, just off the A66, before the Hankes travelled to Hull to catch their ferry back to Europe.

Both friends said that Mr Hanke was a ‘safe and competent’ driver and they had no concerns during the trip. During their last evening together, he had drunk only a small amount of alcohol and was well-rested. He had driven in the UK before.

They added that they were exiting New Lane onto the A66 in their own vehicle with the Hankes behind them, and that there was a ‘pronounced hill’ on the main route which lorries descended at speed, making the manoeuvre difficult. The Scania was about halfway down the slope when Mr Hanke pulled out into its path.

A woman who witnessed the collision said the Scania had ‘no time’ to avoid the Touran, and a man travelling behind the lorry added that it appeared to be within the speed limit and keeping to its own lane. Both live nearby and described the junction as ‘notorious’ for crashes.

Giving evidence, DVSA vehicle examiner Neil King said the lorry’s trailer was ‘among the worst I have seen’ due to defective brakes, including one which had been deliberately disconnected from the air pipe. The tractor unit also had a brake axle with only around five per cent efficiency.

Mr King added that both tractors and trailers are expected to have regular safety checks, but there was no record of the trailer ever having had an MOT and its identification number appeared to have been removed. The tractor had had an inspection the previous autumn.

He added that the trailer’s braking capacity was ‘almost nothing’ and that it would have been pushing into the tractor when the latter braked, which would have also forced the steering to veer to the right. The combined brake efficiency of both units was just 35 per cent and Mr King believed the driver would have been aware of the poorly performing brakes.

North Yorkshire Police forensic collision investigator Steve Kirkbright described the Scania as ‘there to be seen’ by Mr Hanke, but added that it had veered to the right on impact and not slowed down as quickly as if the brakes were in working order. He added that if the steering had been correct, then the lorry would likely have avoided striking the Touran and he considered if a ‘direct contributing factor’ to the crash.

Mr Greene, who ran a horse transport business but is now a farm labourer, gave evidence himself and said he had bought the trailer in 2018 in the Republic of Ireland, and that it had an Irish equivalent of a British MOT certificate. As he did not hold the correct class of HGV licence, all four trips he had made with it were with a driver.

The inquest continues.