A Good Samaritan who rushed to help after a fatal road crash was horrified to find the victim was – her HUSBAND, an inquest heard.
Lisa Hackett, 41, took drinks to comfort witnesses who had stopped after a Ford Fiesta crashed head-on with a lorry, killing the car’s driver.
But she went into shock when she recognised the car as that of her husband Colin, 45.
The inquest heard that Mr Hackett had veered unexpectedly across the road into the path of the 32-tonne truck near his home in Clutton, Somerset.
He was left trapped and unresponsive in the mangled wreckage while desperate on-lookers tried to save him.
Hearing the commotion nearby, Mrs Hackett grabbed drinks and biscuits and walked down the road to assist.
Graham Argust, 61, a waste disposal driver for Bristol City Council, was driving the lorry which Mr Hackett collided with.
In a statement read out in court he said: “A woman brought drinks for the witnesses but suddenly went in to shock when she recognised the car.”
Mr Argust told the inquest at Flax Bourton Coroner’s Court near Bristol how Mr Hackett’s car suddenly veered out of control on the A37.
He said: “The car suddenly swerved across the road into the lorry. It appeared to swerve for no apparent reason.”
The lorry driver said he had no time to react to the veering car and the impact was so severe it lifted his vehicle in the air.
The car ended up behind the lorry and burst into flames, with frantic witnesses dousing the fire.
Driver Gary Paterson witnessed the crash at about 1.55pm on September 19 last year and rushed to help.
He said: “I could see a male driver trapped in the car. He was motionless and silent. I couldn’t feel a pulse or any breathing. He was trapped by the mangled wreckage.”
Another witness, Stephen Heratt said he had seen Mr Hackett “swerving from side to side” on the road before overtaking him in his lorry moments before the crash.
He said: “He had his left hand up against his ear and it appeared he was using a mobile phone.”
Detective Constable Mark Stedman, who investigated the accident, stressed that there was no evidence to suggest a mobile phone was being used at the time.
He added evidence showed Mr Argust was driving in a “proper and correct manner” but for “reasons unknown and without warning” Mr Hackett had swerved.
Assistant deputy coroner Terence Moore recorded a verdict of accidental death and said there was no clear explanation as to why Mr Hackett had swerved into the lorry.
