News from around the county Death crash driver was choking at the wheel
A driver who was killed when his car smashed into a wall “choked with laughter” moments before losing control of the vehicle, an inquest heard.
Martin Smith, 58, died from multiple severe head injuries when his silver Mercedes collided with a boundary wall of a home in Longfield, around 5pm on October 18.
His front seat passenger, brother Terence, managed to steer the car away from oncoming traffic, but couldn’t hit the brake.
He suffered serious injuries and was flown to a London hospital.
He told the inquest at Gravesend Old Town Hall his brother became unresponsive moments after sharing a joke.
Mr Smith told the hearing: “As we came towards the main road he started laughing and his head went back and it did appear he was trying to catch his breath.
“He appeared to be choking with laughter.”
Terence, who Martin had picked up from Longfield train station moments before the crash, told the hearing he had never seen his brother have such an episode before.
Dr Naimish S Gandhi, from Martin’s doctors practice in Longfield, said while he did suffer from asthma - the only record of him experiencing something similar was in 1996.
It is thought that the car was travelling around 40mph when it hit the wall, above the road’s 30mph limit.
Police constable Mark Chapelhow attended the scene and told the inquest there was nothing more Terence could have done to prevent the crash.
He also revealed Mr Smith was not wearing a seat belt and could have survived had he worn one.
Coroner Roger Hatch concluded the retired company director’s death was due to a road traffic collision and expressed his sympathy to his family.
A statement from the family described him as “a very loving husband to his wife Joanne and father to his four children.”