Three Melksham men in court accused of causing the death of Seend crash victim Max Lewis

Connor Forester, Julian Drew and Daniel Palmer are all charged with causing the death of the 19-year-old in a two vehicle crash last November.

No charges were formally put to the Melksham trio and they did not enter any pleas during the brief hearing yesterday.

Drew, 26, of Littlejohn Avenue, is charged with death by dangerous driving, no insurance and driving while disqualified.

Forester, 18, of Meadow Road, is accused of death by dangerous driving, no insurance and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

Palmer, who is due to turn 23 next Friday, of Bowmans Court, is charged with death by dangerous driving.

Recorder Michael Vere-Hodge QC adjourned the case to Friday July 10, when the men are due to enter their pleas to the charges.

He released Palmer on bail and remanded Drew and Forester, who cried in the dock through most of the hearing, in custody.

It is alleged each of them was driving a car on Forest Lane, Melksham, shortly before 3pm on Saturday November 15.

Palmer was said to have been behind the wheel of a red Citroen Saxo, in which Max was a passenger, which was in collision with a white van.

Forester and Drew are alleged to have been driving a black Citroen Saxo and a silver Nissan Primera which were in convoy with the third car.

Palmer was taken by air ambulance to Southampton General Hospital following the smash where he underwent extensive surgery on a broken pelvis and punctured lung.

The van driver, a 25-year-old from Trowbridge, was taken to the Royal United Hospital in Bath with minor injuries.

Max lived in Baldham, Seend, with his father Brian Atkinson, 54. His mum Nicky Lewis, 50, lives nearby in Martinslade with Max’s older brother Dan, 24.

As a child Max attended Seend Church of England Primary School before going to the then George Ward School in Melksham.

He also spent a year at Wiltshire College's Chippenham campus where he studied engineering.