A MAN from Milton Keynes has gone on trial accused of causing death by dangerous driving, two years on from a crash on the M4 in which a Cwmbran man was killed.

Jeffrey Paul Williams, 56, died following the crash on the eastbound carriageway of the motorway, between junction 30 for Cardiff Gate and junction 28 for Tredegar Park, at around 4.30pm on Thursday, June 21, 2018.

Cecil Scott, 62, of Ashfield, Stantonbury, Milton Keynes, has admitted the charge of causing death by careless driving, but denied causing death by dangerous driving. His trial began today.

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Cardiff Crown Court heard at the time of the crash traffic in all three lanes of the motorway had slowed to a “rolling stop” and there had been “no sudden or violent stops”.

James Wilson, prosecuting, said conditions were clear at the time of the crash, and that “any competent road user, especially one of Mr Scott’s experience” would have been see the traffic and react to it.

“The defendant could have braked or slowed down as he approached the traffic,” said Mr Wilson. “Any reduction in speed would have minimised the risk of a collision.”

Mr Wilson said CCTV and dashcam footage from Mr Williams showed the defendant “driving erratically.”

“This was no momentary lapse in judgement,” he said.

The jury saw dashcam footage from Mr Williams’ car from when he joined the motorway at junction 32, at the Coryton Interchange, where the defendant was already on the motorway – ahead of Mr Williams.

PC Richard Wyatt, a Road Traffic Investigator for Gwent Police, gave evidence based on the footage, as well as from the CCTV footage and evidence from the scene.

“It (the defendant’s car) was straddling [lane one and lane two]. It then drifted towards the rumble strip. It then again straddles lane one and lane two,” he said. “The vehicle is veering left and right and was drifting.

“Mr Williams was decelerating gradually. All vehicles were decelerating, nothing sudden at all.”

Tracy Blackmore was travelling home from work in Cardiff, and was joining the M4 from the A48(M) at the time of the crash.

She said the defendant’s vehicle “seemed to be going a lot faster than the others.”

Tanya Drew, who was also joining the eastbound M4 from the Cardiff direction said: "We were slowly moving forward, but it was at a crawl.

"There was just a flash of red going past my window. The next thing I knew it went into the back of the other car."

When asked by Alesdair King, representing the defendant, if she had seen the brake lights come on, she said: "I'm pretty sure there would have been brakes squealing but I can't remember."

She added that she heard "a screech" before the impact.

Alun Davies said traffic approaching the junction along the M4 had come to a "controlled stop"

Judge Jeremy Jenkins presides over the case.

The trial continues.