Man killed in A525 crash had ‘cocaine and alcohol’ in his system

A driver who died when his van collided with a farm building, had alcohol over the drink-drive limit and cocaine in his system. Witnesses at an inquest hearing in Ruthin [1] described how 44-year-old construction worker Lee Pemberton had been trying to overtake another car in his Ford Transit van when the collision occurred [2] on the A525 Wrexham [3] - Whitchurch road near Hanmer. In a statement read at the inquest Connor Broom said he was driving his Ford Focus towards Whitchurch on June 6 last year, when the van came up behind him and tried a couple of times to overtake him, but was prevented from doing so by oncoming vehicles.

Mr Broom, who had his wife and children with him, said he was doing about 55mph and so the van must have been going at more than the 60mph limit. "He seemed to be clearly in a hurry and I was thinking that his driving was dangerous," he said. Mr Pemberton again went to overtake but as a car approached tried to pull into the nearside, colliding with the front offside of Mr Broom's car.[6] Mr Pemberton, of Wern Las, Rhos [7], Wrexham, then lost control of his van and collided with a barn wall.

Though he was wearing a seatbelt he suffered major chest injuries and was declared dead at the scene. Olivia Wright-Lewis, the driver of the oncoming car, said she wasn't concerned at first because they were so far away but then realised they were approaching at speed. "The driver of the van seemed to panic and pulled in," she said. A post mortem examination revealed that he had 131 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, the legal limit being 80 and he was over the drug-drive limit for cocaine.

Forensic collision investigator Ian Thompson told the inquest that road conditions were good at the time and there were no mechanical defects which could have caused the collision. Though the speed limit on the road was 60mph the limit for the van was 50mph, he added. Mr Pemberton's partner Gemma Robbins said they had spent the afternoon gardening before he had set off for Whitchurch to deliver some patio doors to a friend.

Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now [8] She said he worked hard and was devoted to their baby daughter who was only nine months old at the time. "He was a very caring father who worked long hours to provide for his family," she said. Kate Robertson, assistant coroner for North Wales East and Central, recorded a conclusion of death in a road traffic collision.

Why journalists cover inquests and why it's crucial that we do

Reporting on an inquest can be one of the hardest types of stories a journalist can write.

More often than not, they are emotionally charged proceedings attended by grief-stricken people who are desperate for answers. Sometimes, inquests can seem quite clinical due to a coroner's need to remain impartial and level-headed so that they can draw a conclusion from desperately sad events. As painful as these proceedings are for those who have lost a loved one, the lessons that can be learned from inquests can go a long way to saving others' lives.

Families are often surprised - and sometimes angry - when they see a reporter in attendance. Understandably they worry the nature of their loved one's death will be sensationalised and that a news story will forever tarnish their memory. Responsible and ethically minded journalists will do what they can to report inquests sensitively, while not shying away from the often upsetting facts.

It is vital that the public don't forget that inquests are a type of judicial inquiry; they are after all held in a coroner's court. The press has a legal right to attend inquests and has a responsibility to report on them as part of their duty to uphold the principle of 'open justice'.

But in doing so journalists must follow the guidance provided by the Independent Press Standards Organisation [9] and set out in Editors' Code of Conduct. It's a journalist's duty to make sure the public understands the reasons why someone has died and to make sure their deaths are not kept secret. An inquest report can also clear up any rumours or suspicion surrounding a person's death.

But most importantly of all, an inquest report can draw attention to circumstances which may stop further deaths from happening. Inquests are not criminal courts - there is no prosecution or defence - they are fact-finding tribunals which seek to answer four key questions:

Who is the person who died?
Where did they die?
When did they die?
How did they die?

They do not apportion blame. Once these questions are answered a coroner will be able to record a conclusion.

The wider lessons that can be learned from an inquest can have far-reaching consequences - but if journalists do not attend them how can the public be made aware? The harsh reality is they can't. Coroners often do not publish the results of an inquest.

Should journalists shy away from attending inquests then an entire arm of the judicial system - and numerous others who need to answer vital questions - is not held to account. Inquests can often prompt a wider discussion on serious issues, the most recent of these being mental health and suicide.[10] Editors actively ask and encourage reporters to speak to the family and friends of a person who is the subject of an inquest.

Their contributions help us create a clearer picture of the person who died and also provides the opportunity to pay tribute to their loved one. Often families do not wish to speak to the press and of course that decision has to be respected. However, as has been seen by many brilliant campaigns run by newspapers and websites up and down the country, the input of a person's family and friends can make all the difference in helping to save others.

Without the attendance of the press at inquests questions will remain unanswered, debates unargued and lives lost.

References

^ Ruthin (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^ when the collision occurred (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^ Wrexham (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^ Devastated family pays tribute to 'star' dad found dead in Dee Estuary (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^ North Wales magistrate steps down over opposition to 'draconian' 20mph limit (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^ colliding with the front offside of Mr Broom's car. (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^ Rhos (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^ Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^ Independent Press Standards Organisation (www.ipso.co.uk)
^ mental health and suicide. (www.mylondon.news)