Man fell into the path of van after feeling unwell
A DAD who got out of his car when he felt unwell died after collapsing and falling into the path of an oncoming van, an inquest heard.
Gary Amos suffered a “sudden medical episode” at work while driving on Durham Road, Consett, on November 26 last year.
Seconds before the crash, the 59-year-old had been talking to a colleague who said his speech sounded odd and he was struggling to breathe.
The inquest heard that Mr Amos, from Consett, County Durham, said he “needed to pull over” and ended the call.
He got out and stood at the back of his car, where CCTV footage shows him suddenly falling backwards into the road and being struck by a Ford Transit Tipper travelling along the road.
Sergeant Peter Tate of Durham Constabulary, who investigated the crash, said: “He sadly fell into the vehicle at such a speed and in such a short amount of time that the driver was unable to react.
“The collision was unavoidable on the part of the driver, who was devastated by the events.”
The inquest heard Mr Amos suffered severe head injuries in the collision, which were the “immediate cause” of his death at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary on December 1.
But pathologist Dr Abhijit Joshi found that he suffered from severe coronary artery atherosclerosis – a disease affecting blood supply – which most likely led to the sudden medical event.
Mr Amos was also found to have Lewy Bodies in his brain – a progressive neurodegenerative disease.
His widow Debbie told the hearing that before his death Mr Amos was being treated for a heart condition and was on medication, but that he had been “quite happy with the results” of a recent angiogram.
Sergeant Tate said: “We understand that just prior to the incident Mr Amos had spoken to two colleagues using in-car Bluetooth and they were concerned about his speech and thought that he was unwell.
“Both described him as having difficulty breathing, not sounding himself, and said they were concerned for his welfare.
“One colleague reported that he said on the phone that he needed to pull over, then the call was ended. That was seconds before he got out of the vehicle.
“The CCTV footage showed him falling from a standing position backwards into the carriageway. He obviously had some sort of medical episode.”
Dr Joshi said that the “immediate cause” of Mr Amos’s death was “blunt force head injuries,” but that he showed signs of “an acute coronary event which may well have precipitated the subsequent events”.
Coroner Karen Dilks said: “The collision led to a series of head injuries, which were the immediate cause of death.
“However, the pathologist’s view is quite clear that Mr Amos had a sudden medical event, most likely associated with his heart.”
She recorded a narrative conclusion that, “Gary Amos died due to a sudden medical event leading to a road traffic collision.”
In a statement released at the time of Mr Amos’s death, his wife, Debbie, said: “It is with deepest regret that I announce the death of my loving husband Gary Amos, who was involved in a tragic road related incident.
“He was a much loved husband and father and will be sadly missed. We wish to thank everyone for their support.”