M6 crash victim was four-year-old Coventry girl

A child who died following a crash on the M6 at the weekend was a four-year-old girl from Coventry.

Priyanka Bhogal, a reception year pupil at King Henry VIII Preparatory School, suffered multiple serious injuries in the accident in the early hours of Sunday and died a short time later in hospital.

She was a passenger in a Vauxhall Zafira which was involved in a multi-vehicle pile-up on the southbound carriageway between junctions 4a and 4, near Coleshill, at 12.30am.

Three other people in the car, Priyanka’s eight-year-old sister Raveena Bhogal, their mother, and another four-year-old girl, were injured and taken to Coventry’s University Hospital.

A man in the car was not hurt.

It is understood the family was driving home from a wedding in Birmingham.

An inquest into Priyanka’s death was opened and adjourned yesterday, said a spokesman for West Midlands Police.

Nicholas Lovell, head teacher of King Henry VIII Prep School, in Kenilworth Road, where Raveena is year-four pupil, said: “The thoughts and prayers of everyone at the school are with the Bhogal family during this very difficult time.

“I have known Priyanka since she was a baby and she was a delightful child, a ray of sunshine and very popular with everyone who was lucky enough to spend time with her.

“She will be greatly missed by everyone.

“The school held a service in Priyanka’s memory this week and prayed for the full recovery of Raveena and her mother.

“We will be doing everything we possibly can to support our staff and pupils, the Bhogal family and the Sikh community during this very sad time.”

Two other cars and a lorry were involved in the tragic accident.

The lorry driver, a 63-year-old man from Sunderland, was not injured and was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He was later bailed pending further inquiries.

A man and a woman in the second car suffered multiple minor injuries and were taken to Birmingham’s Heartlands Hospital.

A man and a woman in the third car were not hurt. The stretch of road was shut for six and a half hours.

Police say the investigation will focus on weather conditions, including high winds, and whether a reported earlier collision on the motorway played a part. No-one was injured during that incident.

Family pay tribute to Priyanka Bhogal after M6 crash



The family of a four-year-old Coventry girl who died in a pile-up on the M6 near Birmingham last month have paid tribute to her.

Priyanka Bhogal died at the scene of a crash involving five vehicles between junctions 4 for the M42 and 4a at Coleshill on 27 November.

The family said they were finding it difficult to "accept the tragic death of our beautiful daughter Priyanka".

"We loved her more than anyone could possibly imagine," a statement read.

It continued: "In her short time with us she brought nothing but happiness and joy to our lives and everyone who knew her.

'Mourn in peace'

"She was a brilliant, caring and lively young girl who would have grown up to contribute so much to society. We will probably never recover from having her life so horrifically stolen from us.

"We are currently assisting the police with their ongoing investigation.

"In the meantime we would like to thank all our family, friends and neighbours for their kindness and support during this difficult time and ask everyone to respect our wishes to mourn her death in peace.

"This Christmas please join Priyanka's brother and sister and all of us in saying a prayer for her."

Police are still appealing for any witnesses to the collision to come forward.

A 63-year-old man from Sunderland has been arrested and bailed on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

Man charged over fatal M6 crash near Coleshill

A 63-year-old man has been charged with dangerous driving after a five-vehicle crash on the M6 which killed a four-year-old girl.

Priyanka Bhogal, from Coventry, died after suffering injuries in the collision near Coleshill, West Midlands.

The man, from Sunderland, will appear before Solihull Magistrates' Court on 12 April.

Seven other people were also injured in the crash last November.

The southbound carriageway of the motorway was closed for more than six hours while emergency services dealt with the incident which happened between junctions 4a and 4.

M6 lorry driver admits killing girl, 4

A lorry driver has pleaded guilty to causing the death of a four-year-old girl by dangerous driving on the M6 in Warwickshire.

Priyanka Bhogal, from Coventry, died in hospital from a head injury after the car she was in was hit by 64-year-old Robert Booth's lorry in November 2011.

Booth, of Brockley Street, Sunderland, changed his plea to guilty on day two of the trial at Warwick Crown Court.

He was granted bail but warned to expect to be jailed later in the month.

The crash happened on the southbound carriageway between junctions 4a and 4 on 27 November.

'Punted' into barrier

The court had heard Booth was travelling at 55mph, despite gantry signs displaying a 40mph limit, and ploughed into slow-moving traffic.

Priyanka's parents' Vauxhall Zafira was "punted" into a concrete barrier by Booth's heavy goods vehicle.

Booth had submitted that he might have fallen asleep due to a sleep disorder, rather than tiredness, before the crash.

But he changed his plea after the judge allowed him to discuss the case with his barrister.

The haulier, who is of previous good character, was bailed until 25 February when he will be sentenced.

Judge Sylvia De Bertodano told Booth: "You have made a decision which I think everyone, probably including yourself, is very relieved you have made at this stage.

"Please don't be under any illusions.

"I am releasing you on bail but it will inevitably be a sentence of custody and it will inevitably be measured in years."

Lorry driver jailed after M6 death smash

THE LORRY driver who killed little Priyanka Bhogal has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison.

Robert Booth, from Town End Farm, Sunderland, was sentenced at Warwick Crown Court today (February 25) after pleading guilty to causing the death of the four-year-old, from Coventry, in a multiple vehicle collision on the M6 near Chelmsley Wood.

He was also disqualified from driving for five years.

The court heard how 63-year-old Booth smashed into slowing vehicles on the M6 near to junction 4 in the early hours of Sunday, November 27, 2011.

Priyanka suffered serious injuries when the car she was travelling in was struck by Booth's lorry.

She was rushed to hospital where she died a short time later. Seven other people involved in the collision suffered non-life threatening injuries.

The motorway was closed for more than six hours while officers from the Central Motorway Police Group, Highways Agency, fire and ambulance services dealt with the incident.

Priyanka's heartbroken family released this statement after Booth was sentenced: "The sentence handed down to Mr Booth today was another milestone in this dark chapter of our lives.

"We have had to wait and suffer to see justice done for over a year, on top of coming to terms of the loss of our daughter Priyanka under such tragic circumstances.

"We would like to thank West Midlands Police and the CPS again for their diligence and efforts to ensure justice was done.

"The sentence Mr Booth has been given is nothing compared to the sentence which we will face for the rest of our lives.

"There will never be a day when we won't remember the warmth and love we received from our daughter and the pain we feel from losing her."

They added that the trial was emotionally and physically draining, during which the family had to relive the horrific and painful events of the night again and again.

And they also hit out at at Booth for not accepting responsibility for his actions.

"We often ask ourselves how we would act had we killed a four-year-old child as a result of driving dangerously.

"We can honestly say that we would come forward and take responsibility for our mistake.

"We would want the family to know how genuinely sorry we were and do everything possible not to cause them any further pain or suffering.

"It's very difficult for us to forgive someone whose actions since that night have demonstrated no genuine remorse or regret and have been designed only to try and escape justice."

M6 death lorry driver Robert Booth has driving ban cut

A lorry driver who was jailed for causing the death of a four-year-old girl on the M6 has had his driving ban cut by the Court of Appeal.

Priyanka Bhogal, from Coventry, died in hospital after the car she was in was hit by a lorry in November 2011.

Appeal court judges refused to reduce Robert Booth's four-and-a-half year jail sentence but cut his driving ban from five years to three.