Porsche Boxster driver, 79, did ‘unfathomable’ U-turn and started travelling the WRONG way on M6 before crash sparking ‘fireball’ with Vauxhall that killed three-year-old girl …

• Terence Unsworth seemingly 'deliberately' drove in the wrong direction on M6
• Three-year-old Faye Dawson was killed in crash near Leyland

By Ryan Prosser[1]

Published: 22:17, 3 November 2023 | Updated: 22:25, 3 November 2023

A three-year-old girl on her way home from the Blackpool Illuminations was killed when a Porsche driver made an 'unfathomable' U-turn, and began driving in the wrong direction on the M6.

Terence Unsworth seemingly deliberately positioned his car in the incorrect direction on the M6 motorway near Leyland.

His actions, and the resulting crash would devastate two families, an inquest on Thursday heard.

Faye Dawson was killed when the 79-year-old's Porsche Boxster collided with Beth Dawson's Vauxhall Meriva[2]. His car instantly burst into flames with eye-witnesses describing having seen a 'fireball'.

Unsworth, from Preston, was killed by the flames on the night of November 19 last year.

Terence Unsworth seemingly deliberately drove his car the wrong way on the M6 in his Porsche Boxster before crashing into Beth Faye and her three-year-old daughter Faye

Beth was on her way home to Merseyside after taking her three-year-old daughter Faye to see the illuminations in Blackpool. and found herself facing Unsworth's Porsche, Preston Crown Court heard.

Faye, who was three years old, was killed in the crash. The inquest into Unsworth's death this week heard that the 79-year-old indicated right, after joining the M6 near Leyland.

He then performed a U-turn and proceeded to drive the wrong way down the southbound carriageway.

The court heard his actions seemed to be 'deliberate'. Having watched CCTV of Unsworth joining the motorway which was not played in court, Assistant Coroner Richard Taylor said: 'He doesn't meander. He stops and simply turns.

It seems to be a deliberate action.'

The inquest heard from collision investigator PC Rachel Carberry who said the footage showed two cars in front of Beth's Vauxhall prior to the crash. Referring to Unsworth's actions she said: 'He has entered the sliproad correctly then when he got to the give way lines he has stopped, indicated and done a U-turn. It was a clear and obvious turn in the wrong direction.

'There were two vehicles in front of Miss Dawson, around 900 metres prior to the collision, they moved out of that lane but I don't have any evidence to say when that occurred [as they were obscured by a HGV).

It was completely impossible for Miss Dawson to avoid that collision.'

PC Carberry added that the motorway had been well-lit at the time of the collision. The road surface was also dry and had no defects. Although Terence's Porsche was 'severely damaged by the fire' she cold find no faults with the car to account for the crash.

Three-year-old Faye Dawson, from Merseyside, lost her life in the collision after a visit to the Blackpool Illuminations

A post mortem, carried out by Home Office pathologist Dr Alison Armour, found that Unsworth- who had been fitted with a pacemaker around 10 years earlier - had suffered an acute myocardial thrombus and his coronary arteries were 'severely narrowed'.

But the court was told his seemingly intentional actions could not be explained by the potential side-effects of confusion and disorientation

Dr Armour said: 'The histology identified severe narrowing and it also identified severe calcification.

Calcification is a degenerative age-related change.'

Other than the post mortem findings, and reference to Terence's pacemaker, no other medical history was heard during the inquest.

Returning a conclusion of road traffic accident, Assistant Coroner Richard Taylor said: 'I think the difficulty with instances such as these is that we would all like to understand Mr Unsworth's decision-making but it seems that we will never be able to do that.

'I have seen the CCTV and there doesn't seem to be anything unusual about his driving except for the decision, not only to indicate to turn right, but to perform a U-turn and proceed down the motorway the wrong way.'

References

1. ^ Ryan Prosser (www.dailymail.co.uk)
2. ^ killed when the 79-year-old's Porsche Boxster collided with Beth Dawson's Vauxhall Meriva (www.dailymail.co.uk)