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Grandfather died after being hit by lorry on high street crossing while out buying cards

A grandfather died after being hit by a lorry in Brownhills town centre while out Christmas shopping and buying birthday cards for his wife.

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Peter Pelari suffered serious injuries in the collision in High Street, near the junction with Church Road, on December 19 last year.

The 84-year-old, who lived in Barncroft, Chasetown, was airlifted to Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital after the accident at around 11.30am but died soon after.

The former mobile crane driver suffered multiple fractures and died after suffering a cardiac arrest, the inquest at Smethwick Council House heard.

His daughter Jacqueline Askey said: "He loved me, my brother, his grandsons.

"He liked to go out every day, do a bit of shopping, visit my mother in the home.

"He had gone out to buy my mother's birthday and Christmas cards."

The cards for his wife Doreen, who is in a care home, were found near to the scene.

Mrs Askey said the grandfather-of-three, who was born and bred in Walsall, had parked in another location to normal that day due to it being busy.

Pc Katrina Hall, from the collision investigation unit, said Mr Pelari had tried to to cross the road at a pedestrian crossing as the lights were changing to green for the traffic to move.

Mr Pelari's leg became trapped under the vehicle as the lorry moved forward.

Peter Pelari

Pc Hall said the lorry driver told police he had done his observational checks before moving off and had not seen anybody.

The majority of witnesses also said the driver was not at fault and the inquest was told that a police investigation found there was insufficient evidence to bring the driver to court.

Kim Shone, of Wolverhampton, who had been driving the Volvo 12.5 ton lorry, said he had checked around him and in his mirrors before slowly travelling forward when he saw nobody in the way.

Mr Shone said he had travelled about 10 inches before he noticed a lady jumping up and down, waving her arms.

He said a woman had told him to stop and go backwards.

He told the inquest there was nothing more he could have done, adding: "It was a freak accident."

Black Country coroner Zafar Siddique concluded that Mr Pelari had died as a result of a road traffic accident and offered his condolences, adding: "This is a tragic accident. The driver took as much action as he could."

Speaking after the inquest, Mrs Askey, of Aldridge, said: "We loved him. He was devoted to his grandsons. He was always very proud of them. It's hard without him.

"We want to thank everyone who helped my dad, everyone who was at the roadside and called the ambulance and police."

Mr Pelari also leaves behind his son Andrew, aged 53, and grandsons Kris, 28, who took this portrait of his grandfather, Nick, 24, and Adam, 20.

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