AN Evesham lorry driver was over the drink drive limit when a crash on the M1 killed eight people, a court heard.

Polish national Ryszard Masierak, 32, of Barnards Close, Evesham, allegedly stopped for 12 minutes in the slow lane on August 26 despite hard shoulder being available.

His lorry caused an obstruction on the motorway forcing others to slow before moving around him, the court was told.

As minibus driver Cyriac Joseph waited with his hazard lights on to go around the AIM Logistics lorry, a second lorry driven by David Wagstaff, 54, smashed into the back of the van, forcing it into Masierak’s lorry, jurors heard.

Prosecutor Oliver Saxby told Reading Crown Court it was “an entirely avoidable collision, with the most tragic of consequences”.

He said: “In Mr Masierak’s case, under the influence of alcohol, parking up in the slow lane of the M1, an act as flagrant as it was dangerous. What on earth did he think he was doing?

“And in Mr Wagstaff’s case, on a hands-free call, his lorry on cruise control and he on auto-pilot, completely failing to notice what was ahead of him in full view for some time, inattention on a gross scale.”

Mr Joseph and seven of his passengers were killed in the crash whilst four others were injured near Milton Keynes.

The court heard Wagstaff, from Stoke, was driving at 56mph, and did not brake before driving into the van.

Masierak and Wagstaff both deny eight counts each of causing death by dangerous driving, and four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Masierak faces a further eight charges of causing death, while over the alcohol limit. It is alleged that he had 55 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

Masierak, who appeared in court wearing a grey sweatshirt, was assisted in following proceedings by a police translator.

The trial continues.