Flintshire dad-of-three veered into overtaking car in fatal A541 collision, inquest hears

Dr Stuart Feeney of Star Crossing Road in Cilcain died on November 30 last year following a collision between his Landrover and a BMW car on the A541 Denbigh to Mold road.

Resuming an inquest into his death at Ruthin yesterday Joanne Lees, assistant coroner for North Wales east and central, said 53-year-old Dr Feeney had been well liked.

He had a PHD in radio communications and had worked in several areas including medical, defence and emergency services.

In a statement Dr Feeney's wife Susan said her husband was 'fastidious' about vehicle safety and that the Landrover had been maintained.

On the day of the incident he had taken the car for a run out after it had a flat battery and he appeared to be completely normal, she added.

The inquest heard from 57-year-old Kim Barlow, who had been driving the BMW involved in the incident.

He explained he had been heading to a hospital appointment on the day and that as he drove along the A541 in the direction of Denbigh Dr Feeney's white Landrover was ahead of him.

As he rounded a bend he saw the Landrover, which he described as being close to a vehicle in front of it, and decided to overtake.

Mr Barlow explained: "The road was clear and there was no reason why I could not overtake - it was safe to do so."

He said as the two vehicles were so close together he decided to overtake them both - a length he said was similar to a car and a caravan - and that he felt he was able to do so safely.

But as he signalled, pulled out and then drew level with Dr Feeney, the Landrover got 'rapidly closer' as it began to cross the white line into his lane.

Mr Barlow told the hearing he sounded his horn and applied his brakes but he lost control of his car and ended up going off the road and into the woods, striking a tree.

He said: "I tried to keep the car straight and get his attention and I tried to stop - but there was no chance of that."

In addition to a back injury and a head trauma, Mr Barlow sustained a fractured sternum as well as thumb and foot injuries.

Dr Feeney's car struck a 'substantial' tree trunk at the side of the road and came to rest on the carriageway, the hearing was told.

The motorist who had been travelling in front of Dr Feeney, Edward Smith, reversed back up the road after seeing the collision and his daughter-in-law called 999, following which an air ambulance arrived at the scene.

Despite receiving treatment for cardiac arrest and being transferred to the Royal Stoke University Hospital, Dr Feeney deteriorated and died that day.

In his statement Edward Smith told the hearing that shortly prior to the incident, half way through his own attempt to overtake Dr Feeney the Landrover suddenly and unexpectedly accelerated.

After completing the manoeuvre Mr Smith witnessed in his mirror that the Landrover had drifted into the middle of the road but he did not understand why, the assistant coroner said.

An examination of both the Landrover and BMW found no mechanical defects that might have contributed to the incident.

Simon Richards, forensic collision investigator for North Wales Police, said an examination of the cars found evidence which supported Mr Barlow's account.

Investigators discovered transfer marks from the tyres of the BMW on the Landrover, confirming the two vehicles had come into contact before they lost control.

Mr Richards told the inquest that in his experience this type of 'drifting' into another lane could be explained by the driver taking ill or falling asleep at the wheel.

But the assistant coroner said there was no evidence Dr Feeney had any medical conditions which may have contributed and there was no evidence to explain why his car went into the other lane at the time it did.

A post mortem examination concluded the cause of Dr Feeney's death was 'flail chest' due to impact injuries to the chest wall.

Mrs Lees recorded a conclusion that Dr Feeney's death came about as a result of a road traffic collision.