Welsh SAS ‘superhero’ killed by hit-and-run driver – inquest
AWELSH SAS soldier was killed by a hit-and-run driver while he was crossing a road in California, an inquest has heard.
Father-of-two Greg Symonds suffered a fractured skull and died four days later in hospital with his wife, Tamsin, 36, at his bedside.
He was described as a “superhero dad” to children Bodhi, five and Bronte, two, and a GoFundMe page raised more than £7,000 to create lasting memories of him for his two children.
The driver of the car that hit Greg was never caught, the hearing was told.
Debris from the silver Toyota Camry involved in the collision was left at the scene and there was CCTV film of the car. But police failed to trace the driver and the investigation was suspended.
Paratrooper Greg, of Ponthir, Torfaen, had been out socialising and was crossing a road in Santa Monica when he was hit by the car.
The inquest in Hereford, where the SAS is based, heard Greg had high blood alcohol at the time of the accident in the early hours of March 5 last year.
Scott Pace, of the Santa Monica Police Department, said several car parts were found on the dual carriageway.
Serial numbers helped to identify the model of car but CCTV failed to show the licence plate or occupants.
Mr Pace said: “Based on information received, Mr Symons was in violation of the regulation that every pedestrian on a road other than at a crossing should yield right of way to all vehicles. The driver should have known that he was in a collision and was required to stop but I don’t believe the driver was at fault.”
Police checked stolen Toyotas and more than 100 that had received parking tickets in the area but could not find a match for the car that hit the soldier.
Deputy Herefordshire coroner Roland Wooderson said: “It seems to me that Mr Pace did his best to trace the vehicle in the collision.”
He recorded a narrative verdict that Greg died as a result of a road traffic collision.
Greg was on “operational duties” in California while his wife ran her business consultancy firm in south Wales. Close family friend Kyle Burrows said on the GoFundMe page: “Greg was a wonderful father and a super hero to his two children Bodhi and Bronte. We want happy memories for them and bereavement counselling to help with this devastating loss.”
The page described him as a “brother, a superhero of a husband to Tamsin and our real life superhero serving in the Parachute Regiment.”