A beloved church pastor was killed in a devastating motorway collision after his car was struck by an HGV that suffered a sudden tyre blowout on the M60 in Greater Manchester.
A Hero's Final Act
David Lalgee, 64, from Mossley, Tameside, was driving his electric BMW id5 with his wife Jo as a passenger when the tragedy unfolded in March. According to a heartfelt family statement released through police, Mr Lalgee demonstrated incredible bravery in his final moments.
"With incredible bravery, he protected his wife, Jo, placing himself between her and the oncoming lorry that had crossed the central reservation," the family said. "He took the full impact, sacrificing his life to save the woman he loved."
The couple were returning from Blackpool, where they had been planning to relocate, when the incident occurred near Swinton, Salford.
The Unavoidable Chain of Events
An inquest at Bolton Coroner's Court heard that the Volvo tractor unit with a full trailer experienced an 'uncontrollable sway' to the right after a tyre blowout. The HGV veered across the clockwise lanes before smashing through a metal central reservation barrier into oncoming traffic.
Witnesses described the sound of the collision as resembling a 'bomb explosion'. The HGV driver, Tracy Carradice, an experienced driver who had travelled the same route daily for eight years, described hearing a 'big bang' before the lorry 'violently dropped' to the right.
"I was stood on the brake and I was fighting the steering wheel trying to keep it straight," Ms Carradice testified, adding that she replays the collision in her mind every day.
Investigation Findings and Coroner's Conclusion
Detective Sergeant Matthew Waggett from Greater Manchester Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit stated that Ms Carradice's actions were 'in no way contributory' to what occurred. The crash resulted from a 'chain of events' triggered by the tyre's failure.
Police confirmed that no evidence of pre-existing mechanical defects were uncovered, and the HGV had undergone a service the day before the incident. A forensic collision investigator found nothing that could be attributed to the blowout, such as a bulge, nail, or foreign object.
Coroner Michael Pemberton recorded a conclusion that Mr Lalgee's death was due to a road traffic collision, describing it as 'entirely unavoidable'. He addressed the family directly, stating: "This is an absolutely tragic case and the loss of David will be felt forever more."
Mr Lalgee, a former police officer and qualified nurse who served as pastor of Church Alive in Blackpool, was remembered by his family as 'a pillar of love and support to so many'. The grandfather-of-nine sustained catastrophic injuries and died in hospital despite medical efforts.
