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CrashStats

Fatal M4 crash in Swindon on 25 February 1998 at 22:36 involving a Ford Orion

A Ford Orion and a Scania lorry were involved in a crash on the M4 in Swindon at 22:36 on Wednesday 25 February 1998. A 32-year-old male pedestrian hit by the Ford Orion was killed and four other people were slightly injured. Three of the others were pedestrians.

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

Severity
Fatal
Date
25 Feb 1998
Wednesday, 22:36
Vehicles
2
Ford Orion and Scania
Casualties
5
1 killed, 4 slightly injured

Location of the crash

Police recorded the crash at latitude 51.52751, longitude -1.69147, in the SN4 postcode district.

Map of where the crash happened in Swindon

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  • 1 crash
  • Fatal

Collision details

Basic information

Reference
199854MB00138
Council area
Swindon
Police force
Wiltshire

Road and location details

First road class
Motorway
First road number
4
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, no high winds
Road surface
Dry
Special conditions at the site
Roadworks
Carriageway hazards
Roadworks

The 6 nearest recorded crashes

The nearest, at the same spot, was a serious injury crash on 14 May 1980.

Vehicles involved (2)

  • Vehicle 1: Ford Orion

    Car

    Manoeuvre
    Overtaking moving vehicle on its offside
    Travelling from
    West
    Travelling to
    East
    Skidding and overturning
    Skidded
    Leaving the carriageway
    Offside onto central reservation and rebounded
    Hit object off carriageway
    Central crash barrier
    First point of impact
    Front
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    37 years
    Engine capacity
    1,596 cc
    Fuel or propulsion
    Petrol
    Vehicle age
    8 years

  • Vehicle 2: Scania

    Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes

    Towing and articulation
    Articulated vehicle
    Manoeuvre
    Going ahead
    Travelling from
    West
    Travelling to
    East
    First point of impact
    Did not impact
    Driver sex
    Male
    Driver age
    33 years

Casualties (5)

  • Casualty 1: Pedestrian

    Fatal

    Male, aged 32, hit by vehicle 1 (Ford Orion)

    Pedestrian location
    In centre of carriageway, not on refuge, island or central reservation
    Pedestrian movement
    In carriageway, stationary, not crossing (standing or playing)

  • Casualty 2: Driver

    Slight

    Male, aged 33, goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes), in vehicle 2 (Scania)

  • Casualty 3: Pedestrian

    Slight

    Male, aged 34, hit by vehicle 1 (Ford Orion)

    Pedestrian location
    In centre of carriageway, not on refuge, island or central reservation
    Pedestrian movement
    In carriageway, stationary, not crossing (standing or playing)

  • Casualty 4: Pedestrian

    Slight

    Male, aged 27, hit by vehicle 1 (Ford Orion)

    Pedestrian location
    In centre of carriageway, not on refuge, island or central reservation
    Pedestrian movement
    In carriageway, stationary, not crossing (standing or playing)

  • Casualty 5: Pedestrian

    Slight

    Male, aged 29, hit by vehicle 1 (Ford Orion)

    Pedestrian location
    In centre of carriageway, not on refuge, island or central reservation
    Pedestrian movement
    In carriageway, stationary, not crossing (standing or playing)

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 199854MB00138 in the data published on GOV.UK under the Open Government Licence v3.0, and one of the crashes counted in the Swindon road accident statistics for 1998.