Crash driver 'blinded' (From Free Press Series)

Crash driver 'blinded'

THE driver of a lorry which overturned and crushed an Abergavenny couple's car in a horrendous collision could have been blinded by the sun, an inquest heard.

Roger, 56, and Deidre Collett, 54, were killed instantly when the seven-and-a-half-ton lorry veered out of control and landed on top of their Volvo as they drove to Hereford last November.

The Herefordshire coroner David Halpern recorded a verdict of accidental death on Mr and Mrs Collett, of Wern Gifford, Pandy and on the lorry driver Kevin James Greco, 32, who died in the crash at Llangua river bridge, and said it had been a horrendous collision with fatal consequences.

He said Mr and Mrs Collett had both died from severe head injuries and their death was instantaneous, and Mr Greco died from serious chest injuries including a tear in the carotid artery, after being thrown on to the road. Both Mr and Mrs Collett were wearing their seat belts, but the lorry driver was not.

West Mercia Police accident investigator PC Alan Paton said the lorry was heading in the Abergavenny direction, loaded with an air-powered compressor weighing 900 kilograms.

The tyre marks showed that the lorry's rear wheels went on to the grass verge on a right hand bend just before the river bridge, then Mr Greco's over-steering to correct the vehicle caused it to arc across both lanes of the carriageway.

He said: "The lorry travelled 180 so that it faced the opposite direction to which it was travelling. when it finally came to a halt."

He said it struck the Volvo and flipped over on to the car's roof, but the impetus made it fall back on to its wheels before it came to rest.

He concluded: "There was no reason for the lorry to mount the verge, but the sun was low and shining directly at the driver and may have blinded him and caused the lorry to drive off the road."

The coroner said there was no indication that speed had played any part in the accident.

He added: "As the lorry went out of control and crossed the road, sadly Mr and Mrs Collett came in the opposite direction. He tried to avoid a collision but failed because the distance did not allow it."

He said no reason could be found for the accident other than the possibility that the lorry driver was blinded by the sun.