The family of a man who was killed when his vehicle was struck by a car towing a caravan in the wrong direction on the M40 have been left “angry and emotional” by the discovery that the driver who caused the crash had been involved in a collision five days earlier.
Stuart Richards, 32, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, was driving home on the northbound section of the motorway in south Oxfordshire at around 4pm on Monday, when a Subaru Forester, travelling south, crashed into his Ford Mondeo.
Richards, a health and safety inspector who previously served in the Royal Engineers for nine years, was killed, along with the driver and passenger of the Subaru, who were both in their 80s but have not been named.
Thames Valley police have referred themselves to the police regulator because the Subaru was involved in a collision just a few days before, in which no one was hurt.
Stuart’s father, Mel Richards, told the Guardian: “I am very philosophical about it … [but] his [the other driver’s] family should not have allowed him to drive, the police shouldn’t have allowed him to drive. The majority of my family are angry and emotional about how this has been allowed to happen.”
At the same time, Richards, 58, who lives in Spain, said he did not want to be too critical of the family of the other driver because he understood it can be difficult to get an ageing relative to give up their licence. He also expressed some sympathy with the police, who he said were overstretched as a result of budget cuts.
“He [the other driver] might have been totally fine and have in the last few days deteriorated,” he said. “I’d like to see what the coroner has to say, I wouldn’t want to put the blame on anyone, including the other driver. I have lost a son but I had a wonderful son and I have wonderful memories of him.”
Stuart Richards served in Iraq and Afghanistan with the Royal Engineers. After leaving in 2016, he joined the group Veterans for Peace. He had just put a deposit on a house with his partner, Ashley Crawford, and was working for Emmerson, assessing the safety of building sites.
Stu Dillon, from Veterans for Peace, said: “Stuart was very passionate about politics. Having served his country, he became a great believer in the need for change and to stop unnecessary wars. He was dedicated to the cause of Veterans for Peace.
“He was looking forward to completing his house and so keen to be a father. Always a quip for any occasion and a wicked sense of humour. A thoroughly decent friend and person.”
Mel Richards, who is separated from Stuart’s mother, Marie, who lives in Northern Ireland, said his son, a film enthusiast and critic – “he would bore me stupid and everyone else” – was travelling home after visiting Los Angeles for an event celebrating the 40th anniversary of the classic horror film Halloween. He said Stuart, who had two younger siblings, Niall, 28, and Stephanie, 27, was “friendly, helpful, selfless”.
A dedicated Coventry City fan and keen cyclist, he was extremely close to his parents and went on several cycle trips with his father, including around the UK, in Spain and Morocco, Mel Richards said.
In the wake of the crash, police appealed for anyone who had footage of the incident not to share it and to remove anything already posted.
Referring to dashcam footage posted by one driver, which showed motorists in the outside lane swerving to avoid the Subaru, Mel Richards said it was “useful” to see what happened but expressed hope that nothing graphic was online. “We have not seen any footage of the accident … but of course we are treading on eggshells waiting for video to surface that shows the actual impact.”
He said the most difficult thing was having to wait for his son to be buried, because a postmortem was necessary. The funeral will take place in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, on 2 November.
