A TRAGIC husband sacrificed himself to “save the woman he loved” in a horror six-car smash with a lorry, an inquest has heard.
David Lalgee, 64, selflessly turned his car into the path of the HGV to take the impact of the crash – ensuring wife Jo could escape with her life.
The beloved church pastor made a split-second decision after the lorry swerved out of control with a blown out tyre on the M60 on March 20.
An inquest at Bolton Coroner’s Court heard the HGV was forced into an “uncontrollable sway” and “slewed” across the motorway near Swinton, Salford.
Lorry driver Tracy Carradice smashed through the central reservation barrier and hit Mr Lalgee’s BMW.
The grandfather-of-nine turned his EV so that he would protect his passenger and wife Jo.
He suffered “catastrophic and unsurvivable” injuries and died in hospital.
His heartbroken family paid tribute and said: “In his final moments, David did what he had always done – he put others before himself.
“With incredible bravery, he protected his wife, Jo, placing himself between her and the oncoming lorry that had crossed the central reservation.
“He took the full impact, sacrificing his life to save the woman he loved.”
Coroner Michael Pemberton concluded there was no criminality in the driving standards of those involved and the crash was “entirely unavoidable”.
The inquest heard there was “no evidence of pre-existing mechanical defects” with the lorry and it had passed a service the day before disaster stuck.
Detective Sergeant Matthew Waggett, from Greater Manchester Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said the tragedy was a result of a “chain of events” and no fault of Ms Carradice.
A forensic investigation also found there was “nothing that could be attributed” to the blown out tyre.
Ms Carradice, who has worked as an HGV driver for eight years, told the inquest: “I was stood on the brake and I was fighting the steering wheel trying to keep it straight.”
Mr Lalgee’s heartbroken wife Jo said at the hearing: “His passing was a huge loss to many people.”
The coroner concluded the grandfather-of-nine died as a result of a road traffic collision.
He told the inquest: “This is an absolutely tragic case and the loss of David will be felt forever more. It is clear that he was a dearly-loved father, grandfather and husband who had made a major contribution to society.”
“It is entirely possible that there was something on the road that the tyre was exposed to, but that was never found,” Mr Pemberton added.
Mr Lalgee lived with his wife Jo in Mossley, Tameside, but the couple were planning to move to Blackpool.
They had been travelling back home from visiting the city when the tragedy occurred.
Mr Lalgee was a former police officer and a qualified nurse.
At the time of his death he was the pastor of Church Alive, an evangelical church in Blackpool.
