Two killed when a truck ploughed into their ute identified as nephew and uncle Jack and Adam Langford
THE two men who died in the M1 truck crash yesterday have been identified as a teenager and his uncle. Four women, aged between 35 and 75, all travelling in separate vehicles were injured with the 75-year-old taken to North Shore Hospital for surgery.
NSW
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THE two men who died in the M1 truck crash yesterday have been identified as a teenager and his uncle.
Jack Langford, 19, and Adam Langford, 52, were in a ute when a B-double truck allegedly slammed into them, killing them both.
The truck driver Stuart McLean, 30, has been charged with a range of offences, including two counts of dangerous driving occasioning death, over the deaths and injuries to several others.
His licence was suspended and he was granted conditional bail to appear in Gosford Local Court on August 21.
Witness Jack Nash said the teen and his uncle had little chance of surviving after the ute burst into flames.
“I watched the semi-trailer guy with the back of the ute, and the whole thing was just engulfed in flames,” he told 7 News.
Mr Nash said Mr McLean, who was uninjured, was devastated by what happened.
“He straight away collapsed on the ground, completely raw emotions, he was completely distraught,” he said.
Tributes flowed for Jack Langford on social media today.
“Always will be my brother everyone’s heart is broken that you had to leave us you were a beautiful person you only did right by all of us and I can’t wait to see you again you will be missed by everyone,” Michael J Clark posted on Facebook.
Massimo Chapman wrote: “your presence will never be forgotten”.
Emergency services commended heroic passers-by who risked their lives to pull the injured from their damaged and smoking vehicles.
NSW Ambulance Officer Jason Mattson said the ambulance crews were presented with a confronting scene which “spread over 50 to 75 metres.”
“Bystanders had pulled a few of occupants out of the vehicles before we got there but unfortunately there were two people trapped in one vehicle who were deceased,” he said.
Thick black smoke was seen billowing from the flaming wreckage from hundreds of metres away, and while some motorists stopped to film the mayhem and post it to social media, other unknown heroes thrust themselves into harm’s way to pull injured patients to safety.
Chief Inspector Phillip Brooks of the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command commended those passing motorists who rendered assistance to the injured parties.
“Police are certainly very thankful for the quick-thinking action of these bystanders,” he said.
“They’ve witnessed what is no doubt a very sad and tragic event and, in all likelihood, something they and their loved ones won’t forget.”
A 75-year-old woman, who was driving a Kia Rio sedan, was taken to Royal North Shore Hospital where she is expected to undergo surgery, and three other women from two separate cars, 36, 34, and 44, were also transported to Gosford Hospital for treatment.
The fatalities at Mooney Mooney bring this year’s road toll to 209.