Driver likely suffered medical episode before fatal crash, coroner concludes

Craig Mackenzie, 62, from Picklescott, died on February 5, in a crash on the B5062 at Roden.

An inquest into Mr Mackenzie’s death was told that he had been travelling from Shrewsbury towards Newport at the time of the crash.

Mr John Ellery, the coroner for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin heard statements from drivers who had been either following Mr Mackenzie at the time or travelling in the opposite direction.

The inquest also heard details from a police crash investigation report carried out by a PC Duffner.

Mr Ellery heard that three vehicles - a Kia, a Mercedes and a Range Rover - being driven from the Newport direction towards Shrewsbury had all taken evasive action as Mr Mackenzie’s Nissan vehicle drifted into the opposite carriageway.

The report said that Mr Mackenzie’s vehicle had then continued in the oncoming lane, hitting a Renault van travelling in the opposite direction.

The impact caused ‘severe damage’ with the vehicle being spun around before coming to a rest.

Mr Ellery said: “The reason for Mr Mackenzie’s loss of control appears to have been due to a medical episode.

“From the description of other motorists it is consistent with that because quite simply Mr Mackenzie appeared to drift over into the oncoming lane.”

The inquest heard that a post-mortem examination had concluded that Mr Mackenzie’s death was a result of multiple injuries sustained in the crash, but that there was an area of haemorrhage in his brain which had potentially taken place before the crash.

Mr Ellery said: “It remains a distinct possibility that Mr Mackenzie suffered a stroke prior to his death.”

He added: “I think it is more likely than not that Mr Mackenzie had a medical episode.”

The coroner concluded that Mr Mackenzie’s death was due to “multiple traumatic injuries caused in a road traffic collision when he lost control, and the loss of control was due to a medical episode, namely a stroke".