A DRIVER who was over three times the drink-drive limit tragically lost his life after colliding with a stationary lorry on the M4, an inquest has confirmed.
Stephen Richard Abbott, 56, was driving a Kia car eastbound on the M4 in Carmarthenshire on the evening of March 18 this year when the fatal crash occurred.
The collision happened around 11:15pm near junction 48 at Hendy, where roadworks were underway. Mr. Abbott’s vehicle struck traffic cones approximately 180 metres before it crashed into a parked, unmanned DAF lorry positioned in a closed section of the carriageway. Both vehicles caught fire following the impact.
During the inquest at Llanelli Town Hall on Friday, forensic collision investigator PC Matthew Fraser of Dyfed-Powys Police said the Kia’s speed prior to the crash could not be determined. He confirmed there was no evidence to suggest that Mr. Abbott had suffered a medical episode or was distracted by a mobile phone. Investigators also ruled out mechanical faults in the vehicle.
Toxicology tests showed that Mr. Abbott’s blood alcohol level was 285 micrograms per 100 millilitres—more than three times the legal limit of 80. Consultant pathologist Dr. John Williams, of Morriston Hospital, detailed Mr. Abbott’s injuries, stating that the post-mortem examination found he had suffered “severe blunt force injury to the head and brain.” The cause of death was recorded as: “Blunt force head injury, sustained in a road traffic collision, in a man who had consumed alcohol.”
Acting senior coroner for Carmarthenshire, Paul Bennett, concluded the inquest by recording a verdict of death caused by a road traffic collision. He expressed his condolences to Mr. Abbott’s family.
