Student who was ‘queasy about needles and blood’ killed in car crash on way to dentist
A young footballer who was “queasy about needles” died in a horrific car crash while on the way to a dentist appointment, an inquest heard.[1][2]
Oliver Knott, 21, had been on his way for root canal surgery when he overtook a lorry and hit a cattle truck, an inquest heard.
The truck then skidded into a Fiat 500 driven by doctor Maisie Ryan, 27, who was commuting from home to start her shift at a local hospital.
Both Oliver and Maisie were killed instantly in the tragedy on the A65 near Addingham, West Yorkshire, in February 2021.
An inquest at Bradford Coroner’s Court on Monday heard Mr Knott had been ‘worried and preoccupied’ about a root canal treatment he was booked in for.
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Doctor Maisie Ryan was killed in an accident in Addingham (
Ben Lack Photography Ltd)
Senior coroner Martin Fleming speculated he may have been ‘distracted’ by the upcoming procedure, causing him to lose concentration.
Oliver’s dad Craig Knott added: “We had no concerns about him.
“He was just a typical lad of his age. He was concerned about his dental work because he was queasy about needles and blood.
“A former teacher of his said he would make a great teacher because he had a great ability to command a room.
“He also excelled as a goalkeeper at Thackley Juniors. Although he was scouted by Guiseley AFC, he remained at Thackley to play alongside his friends and focus on his studies for university, where he went to Liverpool to study.”
Tragedy struck when Mr Knott’s Ford Fiesta “suddenly veered and crossed to the other side of the road”.
The scene of the crash in Addingham (
Ben Lack Photography Ltd)
It collided with the driver’s side of a green Scania lorry carrying 16 cattle driven by Anna Robinson.
The Scania crossed the road and hit the rear offside of a white Volvo HGV driven by Roy Clifford.
It collided “heavily” with the grey Fiat 500 driven by Miss Ryan, eye witnesses said.
Police crash investigator Robert Crispin told the Bradford inquest the impact of the crash crushed the overtaking Fiesta.
In a statement, Ms Ryan’s father Paul said: “Maisie was a selfless, loving young woman who aspired to be a doctor since she was 11 years old.
“Her favourite time of year was Christmas and she loved to get her family together to celebrate.”
He added she was also dedicated to raising money for charity and helping people and broke off a tour of the South Pacific at the onset of the pandemic to help patients.
Recording a narrative conclusion Coroner Martin Fleming said: “Oliver tried to overtake a lorry and in doing so collided with a Scania HGV driven by Anna Robinson.
“She lost directional control and collided with a HGV and then directly into the path of Maisie’s vehicle.
“Maisie died instantaneously as did Oliver. Anna was very seriously injured and required extensive treatment.”