40mph call for road after Shrewsbury man died hitting up to 70mph
A coroner has called for a 40mph limit on a Shropshire country road where a 27-year-old man died after losing control of his car.
Shaun Stealey had driven at speeds of up to 70mph on the B5067 Berwick Road, Shrewsbury, on the morning of June 24 this year, an inquest heard. He had overtaken two cars in a 40mph zone and then overtaken a third further up the road.
John Ellery, coroner for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, told the hearing he would be writing to the traffic manager to suggest an advisory speed limit of 40mph on the stretch of road where the accident happened.
Witnesses said they heard the sound of two vehicles, one the Mazda 6 driven byMr Stealey – who lived in Copthorne, Shrewsbury, but who was from Edgerley, near Melverley, Oswestry – and the other a motorbike just seconds before the crash.
David Murphy, of Castlefields, Shrewsbury, was riding the motorbike. He told the inquest, which was held yesterday at the Guildhall, Shrewsbury, that he had seen Mr Stealey overtake two cars in an "aggressive" manner and then overtake a third.
Mr Murphy said: "I overtook the Mazda but he sped up behind me. He was only a couple of metres away. I pulled away and saw the car in my mirrors. I last saw him about half a mile away from the collision site and I would say that at that point he was going about 70mph."
Constable Stephen King, a forensic officer with West Mercia Police said: "Excessive speeding was a factor in this accident. It appears he was travelling at speeds of up to 80mph and lost control of his vehicle before rolling through a garden. I was unable to calculate the exact speed of the vehicle but witnesses living in houses close to the collision site did say that they had heard vehicles which were driving very fast."
Mr Ellery said: "Shaun Stealey was going to work that morning and was driving his girlfriend's car. David Murphy was also going to work. Mr Stealey was ahead of him on Berwick Road and he saw him overtaking two vehicles in a 40mph zone. He then came up on a third vehicle and when it was safe to do so, they both overtook and Mr Murphy overtakes Mr Stealey.
"Mr Murphy pulls away and is aware of the Mazda behind him. This caused him concern. He says he was travelling at between 70mph to 90mph. Witnesses heard the vehicles travelling at speed. They were close or relatively close together.
"The loss of control was due to the speed at which Mr Stealey was driving. I make no comment to what was happening between Mr Murphy and Mr Stealey."
Mr Ellery added: "I will be writing to the traffic manager to suggest that this is an appropriate part of Berwick Road for an advisory speed limit of 40 miles an hour."
Turning to Mr Stealey's family, including his mother Julie and girlfriend Amy Jones, he said: "This is a terrible tragedy for you to bear."
Mr Ellery recorded a narrative verdict and said Mr Stealey died from injuries sustained in the crash.
