Police are calling for witnesses following a tragic multi-vehicle road traffic accident in Halifax that resulted in three fatalities.
At 6.50pm yesterday (March 18), officers responded to reports of a collision involving three vehicles on Keighley Road in Illingworth at the junction of Cobblestones Drive.
Two men aged 22 and one man aged 21 in the Ford Fiesta were sadly pronounced dead at the scene. Another passenger in the vehicle, a 21-year-old man, was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The occupants of the BMW, a 37-year-old man and two women aged 18 and 32, all from Halifax, were arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and remain in police custody this morning.
(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
The third vehicle, a Renault Clio, was stationary and unoccupied at the time of the collision.
The road remains closed this morning whilst investigations are conducted.
Detective Sergeant Paul Lightowler of the Major Collision Enquiry Team stated: “Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of the people who died. Specially trained officers will be supporting the families involved.
“This is a tragic incident and extensive enquiries are ongoing at the scene this morning.
“I would like to appeal to anyone who was travelling in the area yesterday evening who may have witnessed the collision to come forward.
“We are also keen to see any dash-cam footage of the vehicles prior to the collision.”
Anyone with information is urged to get in touch with the police on 101 or utilise the live chat feature at www.westyorkshire.police.uk/livechat quoting log 1558 of March 19.
It comes after a motorist was found to be under the influence of cocaine when he crashed, killing himself and his two passengers. Scott Jeffery, 34, sustained fatal injuries after his Ford Puma ploughed head-on into a lorry, with passengers Lawrence Howells, 51, and Barrie John, 48, also losing their lives.
The collision occurred just before 5pm on April 1 last year on the A48 near Bonvilston in the Vale of Glamorgan. An inquest has now determined that Mr Jeffery’s consumption of the Class A substance was a contributing factor in the tragedy.
Pontypridd coroner’s court heard how Mr Jeffery’s vehicle “collided head-on with a HGV coming in the opposite direction” on the A48. Coroner Rachel Knight ruled that Mr Jeffery’s death resulted from a road traffic collision contributed to by cocaine use.
Mr Jeffery was born in Pontypridd and was residing in Brackla, Bridgend, at the time of his death, where he was unemployed, the inquest was told.
Heartfelt tributes to Mr Howells, from Porthcawl, and Mr John, from Ferndale, were shared last year by their devastated families.