Fatal crash lorry on wrong side of road (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Fatal crash lorry on wrong side of road

A VALE lorry driver died after his vehicle crossed over into the opposite carriageway and crashed head on with another HGV, an inquest heard.

Father-of-three from Moreton, Nicholas Stephen Summerill, aged 37, died at the scene of the crash on the A44 near Peopleton at 4am on Thursday, June 3 last year.

Mr Summerill, of Woodlands Piece, Evesham, had been working for Offenham growers J&J Bannister. Liverpool-based lorry driver Francis Raymond Clarke, aged 58, also died in the accident.

An inquest in Stourport on Tuesday heard how tests on the lorries showed no evidence of mechanical or structural faults. But accident investigator PC David Reece said skidmarks on the Worcester-bound carriageway indicated Mr Clarke had 'clearly braked hard'. He added that Mr Summerill had 'failed to negotiate the left-hand curve."

Both men, regarded as capable drivers by their former employers, were identified from DNA and dental records.

Paramedic Barbara Hynes, returning to Evesham from Worcester on the morning of the crash, said: "We thought it was a barn fire but suddenly we turned a corner and we saw this amazing wall of flames - it was awesome.

"We could hear popping explosions and we moved back because it wasn't safe to get any closer. We couldn't make out, initially, that it was a lorry. It was later when it was dampened down we realised it was two lorries. There was nothing we could do."

Security guard Steven Fidoe, travelling along the opposite side of the A44, said: "I could just see flames going up. I think I was the first vehicle there on the Evesham side. I called the emergency services and stayed until they came."

Deputy coroner Timothy Sherwood, recording verdicts of accidental death, said: "It seems Mr Clarke was definitely driving on his correct side of the road. Mr Summerill was coming around the bend and it does appear from the evidence his vehicle came over into the opposite side of the carriageway.

"It's not for me to speculate as to why this happened. There was clearly no chance for either driver to take evasive action."

Mr Summerill's father, Steve, speaking after the inquest, said: "There are so many questions still unanswered and nobody will ever know what happened. You don't want to blame anybody but something went wrong somewhere. It's easy to speculate but anything could have happened."