Shropshire Star

Shrewsbury A5 death crash car was stolen

A man has admitted being a passenger in a stolen car that crashed on a major Shropshire road killing the driver and causing hours of traffic chaos.

Published

Jamie Jones was travelling in a stolen Vauxhall Corsa along the A5 on the outskirts of Shrewsbury, which was being followed by police.

Driver Stefen Boswell, 20, of Wolverhampton, died after the car, which was stolen from Craven Arms in the early hours of the morning, hit a lamppost at the Emstrey Island. The crash, last June, led to hours of delays along the A5 and M54.

Jones, 20, of Manor Road, Walsall, admitted a charge of aggravated vehicle taking when he appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday.

He admitted that on June 6 last year on the A49 and the A5, he allowed himself to be carried in a Vauxhall Corsa that had been taken without consent and that the vehicle, owing to the driving of the vehicle, was involved in an accident which lead to the death of Mr Boswell.

Mr Andrew Holland, for Jones, told the court that his client stressed that he had not been involved in the taking of the vehicle. "After it was taken he allowed himself to be carried in the vehicle" he said.

Following the accident, Jones was taken to hospital with serious injuries. He was trapped in the wreckage for about 40 minutes and was given emergency treatment by medics as firefighters battled to free him.

He was then taken to University Hospital North Staffordshire suffering from head, facial and suspected spinal injuries.

Mr Boswell is believed to have been at the wheel of the Vauxhall Corsa that smashed into roundabout at the junction of the B4380 and London Road in the town.

He managed to escape the wreckage of the car but reportedly suffered a heart attack at the side of the road and died despite a battle by paramedics to save him.

After the incident, the road was closed for several hours and scores of drivers were trapped in tailbacks on the A5 and M54 throughout the rest of the day.

The traffic tailbacks all the way back to the M54 on the day

The matter was referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. Judge Peter Barrie adjourned the case for the preparation of reports until the week beginning February 23 and granted Jones bail.

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