Concrete smashing through windscreen led to driver’s death
CORONER CALLS FOR ACTION TO PREVENT FUTURE TRAGEDIES
A PIECE of concrete “came out of a tipper lorry” and smashed into a car’s windscreen, leading to the death of its driver, a coroner’s court has heard.
Steven James Oscroft died on July 7, 2020, aged 60. His death was caused by an extensive traumatic head injury, a postmortem examination found.
Mr Oscroft, of Shirebrook, was driving along Netherfield Lane in Perlethorpe cum Budby, near Ollerton, when a piece of concrete went through the windscreen of his Hyundai car.
Mr Oscroft’s wife and two grandchildren, who were in the car with him, were unhurt in the incident.
A 64-year-old man was arrested shortly afterwards on suspicion of dangerous driving and released without charge after Nottinghamshire’s serious collision investigation concluded there were no offences against the driver or the haulage company in question.
During the final day of an inquest into Mr Oscroft’s death, assistant coroner Gordon Clow shared evidence from Mrs Oscroft of the seconds leading up to the fatal crash.
Sharing her description of the incident, Mr Clow said: “The car was on the bend in the road as a tipper lorry went past in the opposite direction.
“She saw a piece of concrete (and it can only have been the piece recovered from the vehicle) come out of the tipper and towards her vehicle.
“She flinched and looked away as it came towards the vehicle. She then heard a smash.
“The car came slowly to a halt and she noticed the hole in the windscreen.
“She turned to her husband, only to see that he had suffered horrific head injuries.”
While investigations were carried out, Mr Clow determined that Mrs Oscroft’s account of how the concrete hit the car was accurate.
He said: “I find as a fact, therefore, that a piece of concrete fell from the middle of the offside of a tipper lorry as it turned left around that sharp bend.
“It fell downwards to reach the height of the windscreen, causing the death of Mr Oscroft.”
Mr Clow, speaking at Nottingham Coroners’ Court, went on to discuss the more complex matter of what vehicle the concrete had fallen from.
Mr Clow had previously heard evidence from Paul Wainwright Construction Services, based in Hucknall, which had three drivers working on the day of the incident.
The company “moves construction waste and industrial waste to and from various sites”.
Both the driver of one lorry in particular, and Paul Wainwright denied that their vehicle was involved in the incident.
But Mr Clow, having assessed all evidence, felt that signs pointed to the lorry that shed part of its load was one of Wainwright’s.
He said: “It would have been a remarkable coincidence for a different lorry to have caused the accident, even if the level of lorry traffic along that stretch of road was very high.”
In coming to this conclusion, Mr Clow said the lorry had been carrying a mounded load - meaning the load was higher than the sides of the lorry, although not touching the sides.
While it was heard the lorry had been covered with netting, due to the mounding, part of the load was uncovered at the sides.
The lorry was also said to be carrying a load with concrete similar in size and shape to the piece that struck the vehicle.
“It is perfectly plausible, given the practices in place for loading Wainwrights’ vehicles, that an uncovered piece of concrete could have fallen or blown from the right-hand side of the vehicle as it negotiated a left-hand bend,” Mr Clow said.
Following his conclusion, Mr Clow added that Wainwrights “would be willing” to consider the evidence in advice and support to its drivers.
He stated that “there is at least a question mark” as to whether safety guidance on loaded vehicles was adhered to by Wainwrights, although it was not legislation or regulation.
He added: “Fundamentally, however, a piece of concrete has fallen from one of Mr Wainwright’s lorries and I do, therefore, have concerns that unless action is taken, a future death may result.”
In a statement, Mr Oscroft’s family previously said: “Steve was a devoted husband, father, son and brother and a doting grandad, he was genuine and kind and wellloved by all who knew him.
“As a family, we are struggling to comprehend the tragic end which resulted after a trip out and fun time with the grandchildren, our lives will never be the same again and we can now only cherish those special memories in our hearts.”