Elderly couple killed on A17 near King’s Lynn while travelling home from 59th wedding anniversary trip to Norfolk
An elderly couple visiting Norfolk for their 59th anniversary died on a major road after pulling out in front of a HGV, an inquest has heard. Police, paramedics and fire crews were called to the A17 at Clenchwarton on July 24 last year following a crash[1] between a Mercedes GLC and a Volvo HGV. The driver of the car, Raymond Mullen, 78, and his wife, Lorraine Mullen, 77, died at the scene as a result of their injuries.
An inquest into their deaths held at Norfolk Coroner's Court in Norwich today heard that the couple, who were from Scotland - but lived in Warminster in Wiltshire - were on their way home from a trip to Norfolk for their 59th wedding anniversary at the time of the crash.
It is suspected that Mr Mullen had taken a wrong turn at a roundabout and ended up on the A17, so parked in a lay-by about 500 metres from the Pullover roundabout to turn around. When pulling back out onto the road, he pulled out in front of the HGV, which was carrying 12 tons of fresh chicken, without indicating, and the vehicles collided one second later. A witness, who was in the middle of a driving lesson at the time, said the Mercedes "flew" across the road into a ditch and hit a tree.
When emergency services arrived, both Mr and Mrs Mullen were unconscious and described as "pale" and "not breathing".
Mrs Mullen had a faint pulse - but when removed from the vehicle, it was discovered that she had suffered a traumatic head injury. Despite efforts to resuscitate her, she was pronounced dead at 10.14am. Her husband had no pulse and is believed to have gone into cardiac arrest following the crash.
A statement from the HGV driver Robin Vaughn, read out during today's inquest, said: "I hit the car, immediately stopped the truck. I didn't know how serious it was going to be. "I couldn't open my driver's door - but I bashed it until it opened."
He added that there was "nothing" he could do to prevent the crash. "Since the collision, I have felt like I am in some kind of macabre club, having been involved in a horrible incident," he said.
The couple had both previously suffered with eyesight issues, with Mr Mullen having to take a year off driving in 2023 while he was awaiting a cataract operation. A statement from his daughter Julie Paget said that her father did not drive "until he was given the all-clear" after his surgery in early 2024.
Forensic reports found there were no defects with either of the vehicles.
Area coroner Christopher Leach concluded that Mr Mullen died from multiple trauma, and Mrs Mullen died as a result of a skull fracture.
He added that Mr Mullen's manoeuvre left "insufficient time" for Mr Vaughn to take action, and he either "did not see" the HGV or "misjudged" the time he had to make the manoeuvre.
He did not believe that any prior medical issues from either party contributed to their deaths.
References
- ^ called to the A17 at Clenchwarton on July 24 last year following a crash (www.lynnnews.co.uk)