'I'm falling asleep': Motorist's last text before fatal crash with lorry
A man who died after his car collided with a lorry on the Shropshire border last year had sent a text message to his partner saying he was falling asleep just minutes before he crashed, an inquest has heard.
Piotr Andrzej Oleszkiewicz, 31, was killed instantly in the crash on November 24 last year when he veered on to the wrong side of the A483 near the Halton Roundabout at Chirk, straight into the path of the Scania lorry.
At the inquest, held in Ruthin yesterday, coroner John Gittins heard Mr Oleszkiewicz had been travelling back to his home in Wrexham from Oswestry, where he worked at Arla Foods, following a 10-hour shift.
When police examined his phone they found a message sent to his partner Alicja Kazojc at 6.06pm, just seven minutes before the crash, saying "I'm falling asleep".
The coroner read out evidence from Ms Kazojc who said she noticed her partner would lose energy and need chocolate or an energy drink, and had complained about this more than once in the week leading up to the crash.
In a written statement, lorry driver Jonathan Miller said he tried to avoid Mr Oleszkiewicz's Peugeot 307 by moving towards the outside barrier, and even standing up in his cab to press down on the brakes. He said he only suffered minor injuries but has had to have counselling since the smash due to the "emotional scars".
He said: "I keep wondering if it could have been avoided but I don't think there is anything I could do. It's every driver's worst nightmare."
A post-mortem examination revealed that Mr Oleszkiewicz died of head injuries suffered in the crash. It also revealed there was no underlying medical condition which may have contributed to the crash, and found that Mr Oleszkiewicz had alcohol in his system but that he was well within the legal driving limit.
Forensic collision investigator Richard Davies estimated that Mr Oleszkiewicz was travelling at 60mph on impact, while Mr Miller was doing between 34 and 50mph.
He said if Mr Oleszkiewicz was suffering from sudden fatigue then it could have been exacerbated by his drinking alcohol earlier in the day.
He also said it was "highly likely" that text messages were sent and received while Mr Oleszkiewicz was driving.
The coroner concluded Mr Oleszkiewicz died as a result of a road traffic collision.
He said: "Perhaps lethargy or fatigue after a day's work and a small drink had been a factor. It's a further reminder to us about driving while tired and using phones. It's a distraction which can have catastrophic consequences."
