Perton death crash driver 'sped around bend' before head-on smash

Keith Robert Beech, 54, was driving a black Nissan Qashqai on the B4176 near to the Woodman Inn, Claverley, when his car crossed into the oncoming lane and crashed into a Volkswagen Scirocco, forcing it 12 metres back.

Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Coroner, John Ellery, heard that Mr Beech, of Severn Drive, Perton, Wolverhampton, died from multiple injuries caused in the crash, which took place at 10.15pm on July 19.

The inquest heard evidence from Brett Ince, a gymnastics coach who was driving the Volkswagen on his way home from work.

He told the coroner that he had been going around a bend when he saw the Nissan coming towards him.

He said: "I didn't even have enough time to put my foot on the brake. I was going round the corner and the next thing the car hit me."

"I could not even have told you what the car was, I just knew it was a biggish car."

Mr Ince was knocked unconscious in the collision and said that when he woke he struggled to recognise his own car.

He said: "When I came around, I don't know how long it was, but I could notice the car was very damaged and I could not really recognise the car I was driving any more."

Passers by started to attend to Mr Ince but when it appeared that his injuries were not as severe as Mr Beech's they went to help the other man.

A report from police collision investigator Neil Taylor described how Mr Beech's car had been involved in an earlier collision with a Citroen on the same road.

While carrying out an overtaking manoeuvre described as "both lawful and safe" the Nissan clipped the front off-side of the Citroen as it returned to its lane.

The coroner was told that the fatal collision followed further down the road with witnesses saying Mr Beech's car was on the correct side of the road as it entered the corner but as it progressed around the bend it strayed into the oncoming lane and hit the Volkswagen.

In his report Mr Taylor said: "Evidence indicates it was the Nissan wholly on the wrong side of the road and the VW was on wholly the right side of the road."

The speed of the collision was estimated to be between 71 and 76mph.

Mr Taylor concluded that the most likely cause was that the Nissan had been attempting to negotiate the bend at an "inappropriate speed".

Mr Ellery concluded Mr Beech had died as a result of a road traffic collision, but stressed that Mr Ince had not been responsible.

He said: "Mr Beech crossed over to the other side of the road and that resulted in a head-on collision with Mr Ince.

"I think it is fair to record that Mr Ince did not contribute to the accident."