A BOURNEMOUTH man has admitted causing death by dangerous driving which led to a fatal three-vehicle crash on the A35 last summer.

David Churcher, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of causing the death of 49-year-old Stephen Fawcett by driving a Ford Transit van dangerously, relating to a crash between three vans near Bridport on August 19, 2013.

Mr Fawcett, from Cleveland, was killed at the scene close to Woodlands Farm Kennels, while Churcher had to be cut free from his van and was airlifted by the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance to Southampton Hospital with serious injuries.

A third man, a 48-year-old from Wareham, suffered minor injuries but was still taken to hospital.

Bridport and Lyme Regis News:

Churcher, of Singleton Drive, also pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis on the same date.

At Bournemouth Crown Court yesterday (JUN 16), he was told to expect a lengthy prison sentence by Judge Peter Johnson.

“A lengthy custodial sentence is inevitable, as is a length period of disqualification which starts today,” he said.

Representing Churcher, Les Smith said the defendant had entered his guilty pleas at the earliest opportunity to “relieve the anxieties” of Mr Fawcett’s family.

Mr Smith called for the case to be adjourned for medical reports to be prepared.

“He is still under supervision at the brain injury unit at Poole Hospital, he has a brain stem injury,” he said, adding that his client currently has difficulty seeing.

Judge Johnson adjourned the case for sentencing on August 15 and Churcher was released on bail on condition that he co-operate with the probation service.

EYE witnesses at the scene said the accident was ‘horrific’.

First on the scene was Keith Baldwin from Kingston Russell who said: “It was absolutely horrific, If more people saw the aftermath of accidents they would slow down.

“I ran up to see if there was anything I could do. It was an horrific scene and it was obvious there wasn’t anything anyone could do to help. They were way beyond basic first aid.”

Mr Baldwin said the road was the ‘craziest’ he’d ever lived on.

“It is a road of death,” he said.