Fatigue likely to have caused fatal collision

DHL DRIVER CRASHED INTO BACK OF QUEUE OF TRAFFIC

A DHL driver who died after he crashed into the back of a queue of traffic had probably fallen asleep at the wheel, an inquest has heard.

Arron Middleton, 31, was returning to Leicestershire’s East Midlands Airport at the end of his shift on Tuesday, January 12 when the tragedy happened.

His lorry hit a queue of traffic on the A50 over the border near Chellaston.

Coroner Peter Nieto was told during an inquest at Derby Coroner’s Court last week that Mr Middleton had been conscious when the ambulance service arrived.

A report from East Midlands Ambulance Service read out at the inquest said: “An ambulance arrived on the scene at the same time as a paramedic. Police and fire service, and an off-duty doctor, were also on the scene.

“At the point of arrival, Arron was said to be alert, but trapped by his legs in the driver’s seat of his lorry. He had crush injuries to his legs and his pelvis. He had collided into stationary traffic on the A50.”

Emergency crews had difficulty removing Mr Middleton from the crushed cab of his vehicle and when he was finally freed he lost consciousness.

No pulse was found once the paramedics had him on a stretcher and their attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful, the inquest heard.

Mr Middleton, who was from Eastwood, near Nottingham, was found to have extensive injuries to his lower body.

Dr Terrance Jones, a pathologist who conducted a post-mortem examination, gave a cause of death for Mr Middleton as “lower limb and pelvic injury due to a road traffic collision”.

Dr Jones also confirmed there were no medical issues or toxins that would have contributed to the crash.

Christopher Moylan, the driver of another lorry involved in the crash, gave evidence to the inquest.

He said: “In the distance, around 800 yards away, I could see that both lanes had come to standstill traffic. I could see in the distance there were other vehicles with their hazards on. I started to slow down and when I was between 300 and 400 yards away, I put my hazard lights on.

“I can remember slowing down with my foot brake so I came to a standstill behind a white BMW.

“Because it happened so quickly, I can’t remember whether I was still on the foot brake or used the handbrake.

“After about three seconds of being stationary I felt a shunt forwards. The force had come from behind and shunted my vehicle forwards, causing my vehicle to hit the white BMW.”

Shortly before the crash, Mr Middleton’s vehicle had pulled into a lay-by for some reason, the inquest heard.

The coroner concluded that Arron died as a result of his injuries he sustained from the crash.

He added it was likely the crash was caused by fatigue.