Inquest opens into man who drove wrong way down M6 before crash which killed family

The inquest has opened into the death of a man who claimed the lives of four people in a head-on crash when he drove the wrong way down the M6.

Richard Woods' car ploughed into the vehicle carrying Jaroslaw Rossa, his sons, Filip and Dominic, and passenger Jade McEnroe, Jaroslaw's partner, on October 15.

On Thursday (October 31), an inquest into Woods' death was formally opened. Cockermouth Coroners' Court heard how Woods died from multiple injuries.

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Police were scrambled to the northbound carriageway of the M6 in Cumbria, past Tebay services after the car carrying the Glasgow family was hit by Woods as he drove southbound, the Record reports.

Margaret Taylor, assistant coroner for Cumbria, told the inquest Mr Woods had died from multiple injuries. He had been driving his Skoda on the M6 motorway between junctions 38 and 39.

She said: "He was driving the wrong way down the motorway when he collided with a Toyota motor vehicle containing other occupants who died at the scene alongside Mr Woods".

Mr Woods, of Cambridgeshire, had died four days before his 41st birthday, the hearing heard. Formal identification evidence had been provided by a fingerprint officer.

Ms Taylor said: "He leaves behind a family." She added Mr Woods was a flight instructor who had been born in Northumberland. The inquest was adjourned until investigations had been completed.

Toyota driver Jaroslaw Rossa, 42, and his sons, 15-year-old Filip, aged 15, and Dominic, seven, lived in the Thornliebank area of Glasgow.

Her seven-year-old son, Arran, survived the crash but was badly hurt and taken to hospital in Newcastle-upon-Tyne for treatment. Cumbria Police said no further information about his condition would be released but his father this week said he was showing signs of improvement.