Father found with fatal head injuries was possibly struck by vehicle in dark Wolverhampton street, inquest told
A businessman found lying on the ground with severe head injuries in a narrow Wolverhampton street was most likely struck by a passing vehicle, an inquest has heard.
Father-of-one Michael Bland was found with blood on his face and not breathing yards from his home by a passer-by in Old Hill, in Tettenhall, shortly after 3.50am on April 28, 2023. Despite the efforts of the emergency services he was confirmed dead at the scene.
The cause of death was given as head injuries.
Giving evidence at the inquest, Home Office forensic pathologist Dr Alexander Kolar said a post-mortem exam found the 49-year-old suffered a traumatic brain injury and skull fractures on the top of his head. The injuries were described as "severe".
Dr Kolar said: "There are two hypotheses I would consider. Firstly, there was interaction with a motor vehicle. Secondly, there was a possible assault. This would be ruling out a simple fall."
"This man has a lot of injuries to his brain and injuries to the brain coverings. We need to look at it as a collective. There was bleeding and bruises. They all required lots of force to cause them. It is possible that he had been recumbent [lying down] in the road."
He said the pathology could not rule out an assault, but that in his experience injuries suggesting blunt force to the top of the head pointed to the deceased possibly lying down in a prone position.
Giving evidence West Midlands Police senior collision investigator Detective Sergeant Paul Hughes said in the aftermath officers carried out house-to-house inquiries and collected CCTV footage from nearby properties that showed Mr Bland walking unsteadily along Upper Street towards Old Hill, which was a CCTV "blind spot" at the time. He said inquiries revealed that four cars were seen between 2am and 3.36am including a black Mercedes seen at 3.06am which officers believed to be the most likely to have been involved.
Det Sgt Hughes said the female driver was traced and spoken to and she explained that she was on the way to work at the time and did not recall seeing anyone in the road or hitting anything. He said: "The vehicle was described as not having a panel which did not have scratch or some damage."
The inquest heard the vehicle was seized and extensive tests carried out, however, no evidence linking it to Mr Bland was found. In her police interview the owner said the dents were caused by "parking damage".
Mr Bland, who ran business Prosperity Payroll, had been dropped off near the junction with Upper Street at 2.35am by a taxi carrying him and his colleagues after a night out. Another taxi driver carrying a passenger reported seeing a man lying in the road at 3.36 and had driven round him without stopping as he thought it was someone who was drunk.
His family had raised concerns about the initial police investigation which they said claimed failed to take into account the possibility that a collision was responsible for his injuries until the post mortem was carried out days later.
Assistant Black Country Coroner Joanne Lees adjourned the inquest held in Oldbury on Tuesday (February 24) to consider her conclusion. She said the possible options available in the case were a conclusion that death was due to a road traffic collision, an open conclusion or a short narrative conclusion.
Mrs Lees adjourned the inquest until March 11.
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