Farmer died when 4x4 hit wall and tree
AFARMER died when his Land Rover collided with a wall and a tree after he fell asleep at the wheel while driving back from the Royal Welsh Show.
Robert Watkins, 65, was travelling to Monmouth after attending the show in Builth Wells in the early hours of July 24 when the collision took place on the A40 in Abergavenny.
The grandfather, who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, was thrown across the 4x4 and hit his head on the windscreen pillar on the passenger’s side when he collided with a wall near the Lamb and Flag pub in Abergavenny.
The vehicle came to rest in a nearby field after striking a tree, and passersby notified the emergency services after coming across a wheel in the middle of the road.
Mr Watkins was pronounced dead at the scene.
An inquest hearing at Newport Coroner’s Court yesterday heard that Mr Watkins – known locally as “Spuddy” – had attended the Royal Welsh Show with friends and family.
In a statement read out to the court, agricultural relationship director of Barclays Bank Kathryn Whitrow said she had known Mr Watkins for a number of years, describing him as a “hell of a character” and “family orientated”.
Mr Watkins had driven Ms Whitrow to the park-and-ride car park after attending the Royal Welsh Show, telling her he felt tired after being up with the dog at 3.30am that day.
After saying their goodbyes, Mr Watkins travelled towards Monmouthshire on the A40 between Crickhowell and Abergavenny.
Speaking at the inquest, forensic collision investigator Dean Burnett said it was established that Mr Watkins had lost consciousness seconds before the first impact, between the Land Rover and a concrete pillar near the public house, which occurred around 1.40am.
Mr Burnett said Mr Watkins was travelling at 75mph and was negotiating a right-hand bend with his foot on the brake pedal but seconds later there was no sign of acceleration or braking and no sign of steering.
The investigator said the Land Rover Discovery had entered a grass verge and collided with the pillar at 61mph, causing a front wheel to be ripped off the vehicle. The vehicle travelled along the wall before moving across the road for 55m before colliding with an oak tree at 35mph.
Mr Burnett said: “I am of the opinion the injuries sustained by Mr Watkins are likely to have been caused in that initial impact.
“He would have been thrown across the vehicle and his head would have made contact with the windscreen pillar on the passenger’s side. From that point on, Mr Watkins would not have been aware of what was happening and he would have been unconscious during the impact with the tree.”
The car was first discovered by passerby Vernon Jones, who described heavy rain and lightning that night as “atrocious”.
He flagged down a camper van driven by Philip Harris, who went to investigate.
In a statement, Mr Harris said he could tell the man was dead.
A post-mortem examination established the cause of Mr Watkins’ death as a combination of a compression fracture and dislocation of the lower cervical spine combined with trauma.
Coroner for Gwent Caroline Saunders recorded a conclusion that Mr Watkins died as a result of a road traffic collision.