Mayor killed in crash with muck-spreader had been dazzled by headlights, inquest concludes
Mr Panter had been on his way to a council meeting at the time of the crash.
A mayor killed in a crash with a tractor towing a muck-spreader had been blinded by its headlights as it strayed over the white line, a coroner concluded.
Barry James Panter, who was 75, and was mayor of Newcastle Under Lyme, died in hospital two days after the crash on the A525 at Woore.
Mr Panter had been travelling west on his way to a council meeting in Woore on the dark evening of February 13 last year when the crash happened at around 6.40pm.
An inquest held at Shropshire Coroner’s Court at Guildhall in Shrewsbury, heard evidence from police crash investigators who told how the rear of the muck-spreader had hit Mr Panter’s Suzuki Splash as it negotiated a bend.
The tractor, being driven by Christopher Bedson east towards Madeley, did not stop after the collision, with the driver later telling police he had felt a bump, but believed he had hit a pothole or the verge.
The inquest was told that when he pulled off the road to a farmyard shortly after, he had discovered that one of the muck-spreader’s tyres had burst.
He returned to the scene, telling police he he had been called by a friend who told him there had been a crash on the road.
The hearing was told that Mr Bedson was breathalysed at the scene and passed the breath test.
The inquest heard evidence from Keri Lovatt, who had been driving on the same road shortly after the crash.
She told that she had seen a tractor with ‘very bright lights’ coming towards her before turning off the road.
Ms Lovatt then came across Mr Panter’s Suzuki in the road at a 90 degree angle.
After stopping to help she found the mayor who she described saying ‘bright light, bright light’, before speaking of pain in his head.
In an interview with police Mr Bedson said that he had only used the main road lights for the tractor, either on full beam or dipped as in usual road conditions.
Detective Constable Ben Ward, from West Mercia Police’s serious collision investigation, gave evidence on the incident.
He said that three police forces had initially been involved in the incident because the location sits on the border of West Mercia, Staffordshire, and Cheshire.
The coroner was also told that the police crash investigation team was not sent to the scene of the crash because medics had not believed Mr Panter’s injuries were life-threatening.
The hearing was told that the crash investigators only attend incidents where people have sustained life-threatening or fatal injuries.
He said that officers had been notified of Mr Panter’s death, on Sunday February 16, at Royal Stoke Hospital, at 7.20am on the same morning.
An investigation was the launched with officers examining the tractor involved, as well as scanning and photographing the scene.
The inquest was told that part of the investigation saw the officers take the tractor and muck-spreader back to the scene to recreate the crash.
Police Sergeant Sarah Fraser-Smith also gave evidence, reading a collision report prepared on the incident.
She said the report concluded it was likely that the wheel of the muck-spreader would have been partially in the westbound traffic lane.
She added that it was unclear which lights were illuminated on the tractor at the time, but that Mr Panter would have likely been unaware of the muck-spreader until it was upon him.
PS Fraser-Smith said that although the tractor and muck-spreader were large vehicles it would not have been clear for Mr Panter exactly what was coming towards him.
She added: “Had the driver of the Suzuki moved to use the nearside of the road there was room for both vehicles to pass without incident.”
PS Smith said it was “highly likely” Mr Panter had not been able to see what was coming because he was “dazzled by the oncoming headlights”.
DC Ward had earlier told the hearing the case had been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service but had not met the threshold for a criminal prosecution.
Recording a conclusion of death by road traffic collision Deputy Coroner, Heath Westerman, said: “As Mr Panter approached the left-hand bend he was met by, and blinded by a New Holland tractor towing a muck-spreader, part of which encroached into the opposing lane, coming into contact with the Suzuki, causing it to come off the road having sustained extensive front end damage.”
Mr Westerman said Mr Panter had been taken to Royal Stoke Hospital following the crash and died on February 16.
He said medical reports listed his cause of death as ‘multiple acute injuries sustained in a collision’.