Crash driver was sleeping

Shropshire teacher Andrew Radford fell asleep at the wheel of his car before it veered across the Welshpool bypass and crashed into two cars, an inquest heard.

Mr Radford, 33, of Chelsea Lane, Welshpool, told a paramedic treating him at the accident on the A483 on December 5 last year that he fell asleep after deciding not to take a break.

He had been going to stop earlier but had decided to carry on home, the inquest in Welshpool heard yesterday.

Powys coroner Mr Peter Maddox recorded a verdict of accidental death on Mr Radford, a father of two, who was deputy head at St John the Baptist School in Ruyton-XI-Towns, near Oswestry.

Mr Maddox said: "The tragic death of Mr Radford is a reminder to all of us that when we do feel tired when driving, but feel we can make it to our destination, it is better to stop."

He added: "I don't say that critically of Mr Radford because I don't think there is any one of us in this room who have not carried on when we should have stopped."

Mr Maddox said there had been no suggestion Mr Radford had been driving dangerously, at speed or had been trying to overtake.

A statement from delivery driver Michael Upton said he was travelling towards Newtown on the Welshpool bypass at about 4.45pm on December 5 when he saw a silver Skoda Octavia in front of him start to veer to the right. Its brake lights did not come on. He saw several cars swerve out of its way before it hit a Volvo head-on.

Catherine McPhearson, from Lampeter, said she had been driving from Newtown when Mr Radford's car hit her front offside wheel.

Stephen Simpson, from Churchill Drive, Newtown, said he did not have a chance to get out of the Skoda's way before it crashed into him head-on.

Paramedic Alan Williams said he asked Mr Radford what had happened.

"He told me: 'I fell asleep. I was going to stop earlier but thought I would carry on'."

Mr Williams added Mr Radford had been lucid at that point with good responses, but deteriorated in the ambulance.

By Deborah Knox