Inquest: Driver crashed on M6 in Cumbria after medical episode
Alexander Bell Bonnar, 69, died on August 15, 2024, when the BMW car he was driving was seen to suddenly veer from the M6 northbound between Junction 37 (Kendal) and Junction 38 (Tebay), leaving the carriageway and colliding with a tree. Mr Bonnar, of Boydstone Place, Glasgow, was alone in the car at the time. Witness statements read at Cockermouth Coroner's Court state that Mr Bonnar was driving 'in a normal fashion' in the fast lane of the motorway in wet and rainy conditions prior to the incident at around 11am.
One said they 'didn't think he was travelling at excessive speed', while a lorry driver stated he was around 50-60 yards behind Mr Bonnar, when his car suddenly veered to the left, crossing the other two lanes on the three-lane carriageway, with no apparent attempt to brake or correct the manoeuvre. A police forensic collision investigation report said that this was borne out by other witness statements and dashcam footage. The lorry driver stopped in the hard shoulder to offer assistance, as did an off-duty nurse, who managed to access the badly damaged vehicle to detect a faint pulse in Mr Bonnar.
Emergency services arrived at the scene shortly after, but Mr Bonnar was pronounced dead at 11.39am. The court heard in a statement from Mr Bonnar's son that his father had made 'significant life changes' at the age of 50, when he stopped smoking and drinking, and 'devoted himself' to caring for his wife, who sadly passed away. The statement said that his diet consisted mainly of 'meat, sausages, eggs, and butter and was high in salt'.
He said he was not aware of Mr Bonnar ever having blood tests to check his cholesterol. The police investigation concluded that Mr Bonnar was not using his mobile phone at the time, and there was no evidence that this was an intentional act. No information was available about Mr Bonnar's journey up to that point, so fatigue or a microsleep 'could not be ruled out' by police.
It also noted that water on the road surface could have caused the car to aquaplane once control had been lost. A post-mortem toxicology report showed no significant findings, but a physical examination revealed 'severe coronary artery disease', and indications of previous ischaemic damage, along with the fatal traumatic injuries suffered in the crash. Assistant Coroner for Cumbria, Dr Nicholas Shaw, accepted the cause of death offered by pathologist Dr Sarah Hauxwell of multiple injuries, due to a road traffic collision, against a background of ischaemic heart disease.
Dr Shaw said he found the post-mortem medical examination 'highly significant'. He said: "We have a 69-year-old gentleman from Scotland who has, albeit, very commendably stopped smoking by the age of 50, may have smoked quite a lot until then . "He also had perhaps not the best of diets for his condition.