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CrashStats

Fatal A1(M) crash in North Hertfordshire on 26 December 1998 at 19:15 involving a Ford Escort

A Ford Escort, a car and a Volvo 740 were involved in a crash on the A1(M) in North Hertfordshire at 19:15 on Saturday 26 December 1998. The 81-year-old male driver of the Ford Escort was killed, two other people were seriously injured and two were slightly injured.

It happened after dark with no street lighting in fine but windy weather on a wet dual carriageway with a 70 mph limit, away from any junction.

Severity
Fatal
Date
26 Dec 1998
Saturday, 19:15
Vehicles
3
Ford Escort and 2 others
Casualties
5
1 killed, 2 seriously injured, 2 slightly injured

Location of the crash

Police recorded the crash at latitude 51.95765, longitude -0.20951, in the SG6 postcode district.

Map of where the crash happened in North Hertfordshire

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  • 1 crash
  • Fatal

Collision details

Basic information

Reference
19984100T2112
Council area
North Hertfordshire
Police force
Hertfordshire
Highway authority
Hertfordshire

Road and location details

First road class
A(M)
First road number
1
Road type
Dual carriageway
Speed limit
70 mph
Urban or rural
Rural
Trunk road
Trunk road (National Highways)

Junction information

Junction type
Not at junction or within 20 metres

Pedestrian crossing information

Crossing facilities
No physical crossing facility within 50 m

Environmental conditions

Light conditions
Dark, no street lighting
Weather
Fine with high winds
Road surface
Wet or damp

The 6 nearest recorded crashes

The nearest, 14 metres away, was a slight injury crash on 5 December 2013.

Vehicles involved (3)

  • Vehicle 1: Ford Escort

    Car

    Manoeuvre
    Changing lane to right
    Travelling from
    South West
    Travelling to
    North East
    Lane or location
    Leaving lay-by or hard shoulder
    First point of impact
    Offside
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    81 years
    Engine capacity
    1,597 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Petrol
    Vehicle age
    6 years

  • Vehicle 2: Car

    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    South West
    Travelling to
    North East
    Leaving the carriageway
    Nearside
    First point of impact
    Front
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    48 years
    Engine capacity
    2,450 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Petrol
    Vehicle age
    9 years

  • Vehicle 3: Volvo 740

    Car

    Manoeuvre
    Parked
    Travelling from
    South West
    Lane or location
    On lay-by or hard shoulder
    First point of impact
    Back
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    55 years
    Engine capacity
    1,986 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Petrol
    Vehicle age
    8 years

Casualties (5)

  • Casualty 1: Driver

    Fatal

    Male, aged 81, car occupant, in vehicle 1 (Ford Escort)

  • Casualty 2: Driver

    Serious

    Male, aged 48, car occupant, in vehicle 2 (Car)

  • Casualty 3: Passenger

    Serious

    Male, aged 6, car occupant, in vehicle 2 (Car)

    Car passenger
    Rear seat passenger

  • Casualty 4: Passenger

    Slight

    Female, aged 43, car occupant, in vehicle 2 (Car)

    Car passenger
    Front seat passenger

  • Casualty 5: Passenger

    Slight

    Female, aged 51, car occupant, in vehicle 3 (Volvo 740)

    Car passenger
    Front seat passenger

Data source

This record comes from the Department for Transport’s road safety data (STATS19), in which police forces in Great Britain record every road crash reported to them where someone was injured. It is reference 19984100T2112 in the data published on GOV.UK under the Open Government Licence v3.0, and one of the crashes counted in the North Hertfordshire road accident statistics for 1998.