An Asda delivery driver died in a collision on the way to work after picking up an extra shift because he ‘didn’t want to let anyone down’, an inquest has heard.
Marc Thomas, 50, died following a one-vehicle collision in Bishop Auckland on September 9 this year. The 50-year-old, from Langley Park, was travelling to work on the B6286 at Toronto shortly before 8am when his Ford Fiesta left the road and came to a stop in a bush, the court was told on Thursday.
A pen portrait written by his daughter Rebecca, which was read out during the hearing, said: “On the day of his passing he had received a phone call to see if he could pick up an extra shift at Asda as a delivery driver – a job he had recently got and was really proud of”, she wrote, adding: “He agreed and was on his way and he didn’t want to let anyone down.”
Rebecca said her dad was “loved and cherished by many people near and far”. He loved spending time with his family and had made several friends online through playing on his PlayStation in his spare time.
In a tribute to her dad, she added: “Dad was forever an optimist. Ever since being a young boy he was happy spending time with the family, especially gran and grandad. His life was very chaotic but he made a hellish sense of humour and gained various life-long friends through this.
“He could make light of any situation to ensure you had a smile on your face.”
County Durham and Darlington Coroner’s Court heard that Marc passed away at the scene of the collision after losing control of his car while navigating a bend.
The court heard that CCTV from the moments leading up to the collision showed the car travelling in the centre of the 60mph road “straddling the white line” before it lost control on a bend and veered towards oncoming traffic on the northbound carriageway.
A witness travelling northbound at the time said the car appeared to be “swerving and was on two wheels, going side to side as if the driver was trying to gain control”. The car came to a stop after colliding with the hedgerow and a tree trunk at the side of the road, the court heard.
Assistant Coroner Dr Leslie Hamilton concluded that Marc died in a road traffic collision after his car “travelled over a crest in the carriageway into the right-hand bend at speed. In doing so, he lost control of his vehicle which moved onto the offside lane and, trying to turn back to his own lane, his vehicle rotated into the carriageway to the nearside.”
He added that road conditions may have reduced the level of grip available on the road at the time.
A tribute released by his family following his death said Marc was a “much-loved husband, father, son, brother and grandad and will be sadly missed.”
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View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/asda-delivery-driver-killed-crash-30635709
