Car enthusiast died after crashing three-wheeler into ditch in Bridgnorth

William Higginson, 65, from Malvern, was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham on April 14 following a crash on the A442 in Bridgnorth, near Dudmaston Hall.

He had been attending a Morgan car rally at the Severn Valley Railway when he offered to take a fellow enthusiast for a spin in his three wheeler.

Senior coroner for Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, John Ellery, said: "It is apparent that he lost control of the three wheeler and veered down a bank.

"The steering wheel was not on the steering column and was found outside and away from the vehicle.

"Ordinarily the passenger could tell us what happened as he survived, but he doesn't remember the accident at all."

Compromised

PC Steve Wootton said while an exact reason as to why the car left the carriageway cannot be ascertained, there are a number of possible explanations including the driver taking evasive action due to something in the road, a medical episode, momentarily not looking ahead at the road or the driver being impaired.

The inquest also heard it was possible that the removable steering wheel had come loose prior to the crash, or that the car had hit a bump in the road.

"The road surface has been repaired a number of times and some drivers have reported a noticeable bounce," PC Wootton added.

"It is therefore possible that the vehicle's stability was compromised. As a result of the design not featuring any driver aids, it would solely be down to the driver's ability to correct that."

Mr Ellery said he will write to Morgan to recommended that the company reviews the safety of the removable steering wheel.

He recorded a conclusion of road traffic collision.