Man jailed after causing serious collision by driving on M1 hard shoulder

A man has been jailed for more than three-and-a-half years after causing a serious collision by using the M1 hard shoulder to undertake traffic.

At around 6.35pm on Tuesday 26 October 2021 (correct), Luke Coleman was driving his white BMW between junctions 10 and nine near Redbourn.

At the time, a woman was standing alongside her silver Vauxhall Astra on the hard shoulder when she was hit by Coleman’s vehicle.

Coleman, aged 34 and of Murrain Drive in Maidstone, Kent, was charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He denied the offence.

During a four-day trial at St Albans Crown Court in October 2024, Coleman tried to convince the jury that a lorry had forced him onto the hard shoulder, causing the collision.

Meticulous work by officers from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit (RPU) showed his driving fell far below that of a competent driver.

The jury, who unanimously convicted Coleman on 10 October, heard how he used the emergency hard shoulder to undertake slow-moving vehicles.

As a result of the collision, the victim, aged in her 20s, sustained life-changing injuries. She now has a prosthetic eye and sustained multiple breaks and fractures. She continues to have ongoing mobility issues.

At a sentencing hearing yesterday (Wednesday 11 December), Coleman was sentenced to 45 months in prison and disqualified from driving for 58 months. When eligible, Coleman will be required to take an extended re-test.

Chief Inspector Steve O’Keefe from the RPU said: “Coleman was solely responsible for this collision having chosen to drive dangerously by undertaking moving traffic and driving on the hard shoulder, putting other road users and himself directly in harm’s way.

“These actions led directly to the collision resulting in very serious injuries. I hope the victim’s recovery continues to improve as she adapts to the life-changing conditions she has been left with as a result of Coleman’s actions. I would like to praise her bravery and co-operation throughout the complex investigation and trial.

“Coleman chose not to take responsibility for his actions, and my team of diligent and tenacious officers worked hard to counter the false arguments presented during the investigation and hearing.

“This prolonged the judicial process, but I hope that the victim now has an element of closure with the court handing Coleman a substantial custodial sentence.”