Staffordshire father hit by lorry stumbled into road
A father of two was killed when he was hit by a lorry while crossing the road in the early hours of the morning, an inquest heard.
John Taylor, 43, died following the accident on the A5 Watling Street in Bridgtown.
Cannock Coroner's Court heard Mr Taylor had been for a pub meal with his brother-in-law Andrew and some friends before heading home in the early hours of March 2 last year. Giving evidence, Pc Helen Smart, collision investigation unit officer for Stafford, said: "John visited his brother-in-law at around 4.30pm in the afternoon, and in the evening they had a meal before returning to Andrew's house.
"John was offered the chance to sleep at Andrew's address but declined and walked home.
"CCTV footage from a property appeared to show a male staggering slightly as he moved across the camera."
John Baker was driving the lorry that hit Mr Taylor and said there was no way he could have avoided him.
He had been driving at a speed of 31 miles per hour and only saw Mr Taylor when he was between two and three metres away.
He said: "I saw the oncoming vehicle but I only saw the pedestrian seconds before the impact.
"He was wearing dark clothing and he was in the middle of the road in the filter lane and he moved into my carriageway by a fraction and collided with the offside of the vehicle."
A toxicology test revealed Mr Taylor had a blood alcohol level of 118 milligrams to 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit to drive is 80.
Colin Mason was driving his lorry along the A5 when he spotted Mr Taylor walking in the road.
In a statement, he said: "
I noticed him 30 yards in front of me and he stumbled so I slowed down. I saw another lorry travelling in the opposite direction and after it had passed me I looked in my rear view mirror. Mr Taylor stepped sideways in front of the oncoming vehicle."
South Staffordshire coroner Andrew Haigh concluded Mr Taylor died as the result of a road traffic collision.
