Sat nav led to death - inquest

Poor road signs and a satellite navigation system led to the death of a Shropshire motorcyclist who was run over by a lost lorry driver, an inquest heard.

The inquest on Terence Lloyd, who died on the A518 Wombridge Way, Oakengates, Telford, heard how a sat nav system instructed a lorry driver to take the fourth exit at a roundabout, causing him to drive on the wrong side of the approach road.

Mr Lloyd’s death sparked a warning from Michael Gwynne, Telford & Wrekin coroner, at yesterday’s inquest about the distraction a sat nav system can cause. He also demanded highway bosses at Telford & Wrekin Council made changes to signs on Wombridge Way “immediately” and not in the next financial year as planned.The inquest heard Mr Lloyd, of Hartshill Avenue, Oakengates, was riding his Suzuki motorcycle when he faced a head-on collision with a DAF lorry, driven by David Horner, of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in February last year.

Mr Lloyd, 56, came off his motorcycle and was then run over by the lorry. He died of multiple injuries at the scene. The inquest heard Mr Horner was lost and following instructions from a sat nav system. He said he listened to the instructions and then pulled into the offside carriageway when the collision happened.

Recording an accident verdict, Mr Gwynne said: “If we have people driving on the wrong side of the road due to the signs, then we need to do something about it.”

l Mr Horner has been charged with careless driving and is due to appear at Telford Magistrates Court later this month.