Crash driver may have fallen asleep

A 57-year-old businessman who died when his car crashed head-on with a lorry in Shropshire had a history of falling asleep at the wheel, an inquest has heard.

Jeffrey Blundell, 57, from Clive, near Wem, died 'instantaneously' when his Peugeot 307 crossed into the path of oncoming traffic on the A49 north of Preston Brockhurst.

His car hit a lorry travelling in the opposite direction before bursting into flames just after 1am on November 29 last year.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Mr John Ellery, coroner for Mid and North-West Shropshire, ruled out suicide and mechanical failure of either vehicle at an inquest in Wem yesterday. He added that both drivers tested negative for alcohol after the crash.

He said the cause of death was multiple injuries due to a road crash.

Mr Blundell, who was travelling home after visiting his mother in Wigan when he died, co-owned the Fox and Hounds pub in Shawbury and also ran the Four Crosses at Bicton, near Shrewsbury, in the 1990s.

More recently he ran Chambers bar and restaurant in Stafford.

His brother-in-law Brian Hawtin told the inquest he had witnessed Mr Blundell falling asleep while driving at night in Spain in 2010.

Mr Blundell's wife Carol told the court her husband had 'gone into hedges' while driving when tired.

Crash scene investigators said neither vehicle had been speeding. The inquest heard that the tachograph taken from the lorry showed driver David Birthwhistle had not exceeded his driving time limits.

Constable Ian Edwards, crash scene investigator, said there was nothing Mr Birthwhistle could have done to avoid the impact.

Mr Ellery said: "The most likely and probable cause of the collision is that Mr Blundell was asleep or was falling asleep."

See also:

• Driver dies in A49 crash horror

• A49 fireball accident driver named

• Family pays tribute to A49 road crash victim