Retired lecturer died after failing to spot lorry on road

INQUEST TOLD DRIVER OF HGV WAS NOT TO BLAME

A POPULAR retired academic died after being struck by a HGV while walking home, an inquest heard.

Terry Miskell went from working down the mines at the age of 15 to becoming an engineering lecturer at Northumbria University.

An inquest at Newcastle Coroner’s Court heard he died three days after being hit by a HGV on September 11, 2017, aged 82.

The inquest heard that the driver of the HGV was not at fault for the collision.

Mr Miskell, who was noted for having good mobility despite his age, was crossing the A693 near Pelton at around 11.40am with a newspaper under his arm and carrying a walking stick.

He opted not to use the underpass further up the road – which his son pointed out was covered in mud and broken glass – and crossed the road at a point where there was no pedestrian crossing.

The lorry driver, David Walker, was returning from Stanley to Wolverhampton after dropping off goods.

The inquest heard he spotted Mr Miskell standing in the middle of the road and sounded his horn and tried to stop the vehicle, but caught the grandad-of-three with a “glancing blow”.

Mr Miskell didn’t suffer a head injury and was able to tell officers at the scene that he had only seen the lorry “when it was nearly on me”.

Mr Walker declined to give substantial verbal evidence under instruction from his solicitor but a statement he gave to the police shortly after the incident was read out. It read: “A pedestrian walked out looking across the road, he was not looking. I blasted the horn to make him aware of my presence.

“He looked up with an expression on his face as if he did not know he was there.”

Analysis of speed tracking software installed on the vehicle presented by PC Michael Bell established the driver had carried out an emergency brake and attempted to miss him.

It also established he was going 2mph over the 50mph speed limit but was driving a vehicle with a limiter, so believed he was within the legal restriction.

Recording his conclusion that Mr Miskell was killed as a result of a road traffic collision, the assistant coroner said: “Could Mr Walker have done something differently?

“Could Terry have done something differently?

“I supposed we all could have done something differently at some point. It’s not my decision anyway but I can say that I haven’t heard any evidence that would justify taking any further evidence against Mr Walker.”

Mr Miskell, from Beamish, is survived by his wife Margaret, daughter Jane, son Simon, three grandsons, and younger brother Derek.