Tributes paid to Market Drayton milk tanker crash victim
A van driver who died in a collision with a milk tanker in Shropshire has been formally identified by police as 34-year-old Benjamin Murphy.
Mr Murphy, of Rectory Lane in Adderley, near Market Drayton, worked as a landscape gardener in the area and died following the crash near his home.
It happened in Spoonley, on the A529 Adderley Road, at about 2pm on Monday. Mr Murphy was pronounced dead at the scene.
Floral tributes have appeared on the side of the road where the crash happened with comments to Mr Murphy written on cards.
One, left said: "Lovely, smiley, gorgeous Ben. Can't believe you've been taken away. Loved by everybody, just so sad. Going to miss you!"
After the crash, the driver of the milk tanker, a 61-year-old man, was taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire with non-life threatening injuries.
Police have now appealed for witnesses to the crash and said the driver of the milk lorry was travelling from Adderley towards Market Drayton, while Mr Murphy was travelling a white transit van in the opposite direction.
The accident caused heavy traffic towards the A53 junction and the Rectory Lane junction as well as the closure of Adderley Road.
Police said the road didn't reopen until midnight while investigations took place and the vehicles were recovered.
The coroner's office said no date has yet been set for the inquest to open.
Anyone with information should contact police on 101 quoting incident number 372 of July 7.
