Christine Mackay died and her husband was seriously injured when their Land Rover Defender was involved in a three-car collision on the southbound carriageway in the early hours of October 18, 2021.

Christopher Andrew Hall, 24, of Hurstleigh Terrace, Harrogate, has now been charged with causing death by careless driving and driving while over the legal limit for alcohol.

Hall appeared at York Crown Court for arraignment on Thursday, and although no pleas were taken, his legal team asked for a three-day trial to be scheduled.

Mr Hall was driving a Ford Fiesta and the court was told by his barrister that he ‘momentarily dropped off and shunted’ a Ford Puma, whose driver was uninjured.

Hall pulled over, called police and waited behind a crash barrier and eight minutes later a collision involving the Mackays’ Land Rover occurred, though no further details of the circumstances were given.

Judge Sean Morris queried why the incident did not meet the threshold for a charge of causing death by dangerous driving, and was told there had been 12 months of discussions within the Crown Prosecution Service before the indictment was finalised.

Hall’s counsel added that his client had had ‘legal training’ as part of his degree. He has no previous convictions.

Law student, 24, to stand trial over crash which killed Land Rover passenger after 'shunt' on A1(M) in Yorkshire