Doting dad killed in West Country crash took cocaine and was speeding

A doting father who will no longer take his children to watch Plymouth Argyle or his beloved Arsenal or take his daughter horse riding and will never walk her down the aisle had been speeding on a wet road while under the influence of cocaine, an inquest heard. Mateusz Kufel lost control of his grey Seat Leon at 5.45am while on his way to work on May 6. An inquest into the 43-year-old’s death held in Truro today (Tuesday, November 28) heard how Mateusz hit the kerb as he drove past the Aerohub Business Park in Newquay on the A3059 on his way for his shift at Pall Corporation, a company based in St Columb Major which makes medical filters for hospitals.

The inquest heard how his car flipped 180 degrees and landed on its roof after colliding with trees. Despite wearing his seat belt and being a competent driver, the dad of three suffered multiple injuries. He was later taken to the major trauma centre at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth where he later died.

His organs were taken away as was his wish to help save other people’s lives, something his best friend Marcin Arciuch told the inquest made him so proud of Mateusz, Cornwall Live reports[1].

The hearing heard how the Poland native had been travelling at more than 70mph in a 60mph zone on a damp road while under the influence of cocaine. Alcohol at a level of 70mg/100ml was also detected in his blood, which is below the UK legal drink drive.

However it was heard that it may still have impaired his reflexes especially when combined with the Class A drug. Anna Kufel, Mateusz’s ex wife, told the inquest in her statement that the presence of cocaine in his body had come as a real surprise and shock. She said Mateusz was a doting father to their three children and would always try to balance work and his time with them so he could take them to their various sports and activities or on cliff walks.

The couple who had known each other since primary school and were married in 2006, a year after moving to the UK for work opportunities, split up in 2018 and divorced three years later when the personal challenges Mateusz faced in his life started to impact on the relationship. Get the best stories delivered to your inbox every day. Choose what you want here[4]. She said he had picked up the children from school the day before his death and had dropped them off at their mum’s after their swimming lessons, promising he’d see them the following week.

Ms Kufel told the inquest that Mateusz had been looking forward to taking the children on holiday to Torquay in Devon and to London during the summer holidays. She told the hearing: “His death has come as a shock to the whole family and left an unfillable hole in the children’s lives. It has changed our family forever.

He will no longer be cheering them during football practice. Some day he would have walked our daughter down the aisle. That won’t happen any more.

We will continue to cherish the happy memories we all had together.” Marcin, the friend Mateusz had shared a flat with in Newquay following his separation, told the inquest how much he loved sport and they watched a tennis game on telly the night before the accident and had some alcohol. In his statement he said Mateusz loved his family very much adding that the breakdown of his marriage had left him depressed and drinking more but never contemplating suicide.

On the contrary, he said that Mateusz always tried to “stay positive” and made efforts to reduce his alcohol consumption. He also said that Mateusz had always been a careful driver. On the day of the fatal crash, a local farmer out in his field during lambing season said he heard the impact and went to investigate before calling 999.

Crash scene investigators said there were no defects or potholes on the road as it was new and Mateusz’ Seat car was also in a good condition with no mechanical defects, but added that the road was damp from recent rain and Mateusz had driven at excess speed while under the influence of cocaine with some alcohol also detected in his blood.

Assistant coroner for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Emma Hillson said excessive speed on a wet road and under the influence of cocaine had been determining factors in Mateusz’s loss of control.

She concluded in a road traffic collision death.

References

1. ^ Cornwall Live reports (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
2. ^ New Yeovil cycle route that would take “five weeks” to build won’t be finished until Christmas (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
3. ^ ‘Knife Angel’ sculpture to visit Somerset’s county town (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
4. ^ Choose what you want here (www.somersetlive.co.uk)