Using hands-free may have affected judgment of lorry driver …
Donald (known as Don) Wood died aged 68 on a back road between Bessy Bank Lane and The Riggs north of Oxen Park near Ulverston[1] on February 3 2022.
Coroner Robert Cohen concluded that he died from multiple injuries as a result of a head-on road traffic collision with a Scania light goods vehicle (LGV) lorry.
The section of road where Don and the Scania driver collided head-on (Image: Google Maps)
The hearing heard that the LGV driver involved in the incident was on his hands-free phone at the time. The driver said it was helpful for the convoy to do this on narrow sections of the road so that they could warn each other when there was oncoming traffic.
Cumbria Police conducted a forensic investigation after the incident and concluded that this may have affected his judgment.
An inspector who submitted evidence to the court said that the LGV driver was travelling faster than expected but recognised it was a subjective opinion. The road is national speed limit, and the police investigation found that the wagon was travelling at 28 mph, then emergency braked to seven mph when the incident happened.
Mr Wood was wearing a predominately black outfit, the inquest heard.
It was possible that the lorry driver might have caught a glimpse of Mr Wood shortly before the crash but the motorists were only fully visible to each other one and a half seconds before impact, the inquest was told.
The coroner said that he was not in a position to conclude that the Scania was driving too fast.
Mr Wood was travelling at no more than 27 mph when he hit the lorry and the forensic officer said that his speed ‘seemed appropriate.’
The lorry driver was returning to Grizedale Forest as part of a convoy to collect timber and after the crash expected to see Mr Wood okay.
He ran to get a defibrillator while one of his colleagues performed CPR on Mr Wood. The paramedics arrived and despite trying to resuscitate him gave the time of death as 3.19pm.
Mr Wood’s long-term partner Carol Staffieri gave evidence to the court. She said that he was born in Barrow and went to Walney Junior School and Barrow[3] Grammar School.
He worked as an engineer draftsman at Vickers shipyard for twenty years, then worked at Sellafield for ten years.
He met Carol on a night out in 1992. They lived separately for many years but he moved into her house at Foxfield Close, Askam[4], when he briefly had prostate cancer.
She said: “He couldn’t stand to sit in the house and would do anything to go outdoors. He was a very good and careful rider. I’ve been on the back of his bike many times and would always feel safe.
“He was due to have his new bike delivered. He was taking his bike out for a last spin, and this was a regular route he would take.”