Welsh man killed as van ploughs into stationary lorry in Scotland

Martin Joseph McDonagh, who was 45, died five days after the early-hours crash

14:26, 15 Jun 2026

Police Scotland issued an appeal after the crash(Image: Google)

An inquest has opened into the death of a man from Newport who was involved in a fatal crash in Scotland last month.

Martin Joseph McDonagh, 45, of Maesglas Crescent, Newport, died five days after he was involved in a crash on the A84 in Callander, Scotland.

He was airlifted to hospital following the crash, which occurred at 3.40am on May 15.

Newport[1] Coroners' Court heard on Monday that Mr McDonagh was driving a van along the A84 when he collided with a stationary HGV.

He died five days later on May 20 at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital where he was formally identified by Michael Gay and Nick Shipton on May 28. Stay in the know by making sure you're receiving our daily newsletter[2]

Coroner Rose Farmer told the court a post-mortem examination concluded Mr McDonagh's cause of death to be a blunt force head injury, which was suffered in a road traffic collision where he was the driver.

Ms Farmer adjourned the inquest until the conclusion of the police investigation.

Police Scotland issued an appeal on May 15 stating there had been a crash on the A84 in Callander, near McLaren Terrace, at around 4am involving a Renault Kangoo and a lorry.

A force spokesman said emergency services attended and the 45-year-old driver of the Renault was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow where he died days later.

Sergeant Michael Shillington said: "Our inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding this crash.

"We would appeal to anyone who was in the area around the time of the incident to contact us with any information.

"If anyone has dashcam footage please review it and get in touch if it holds any detail which could be relevant.

"Information can be passed to Police Scotland through 101 quoting incident number 0316 of May 15."

Why we cover inquests - and why it's so important that we do

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.

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.

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.

Should journalists shy away from attending inquests then an entire arm of the judicial system 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.

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 powerful media campaigns, 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 and lives will be lost.

References

1. ^ Newport (www.walesonline.co.uk)
2. ^ making sure you're receiving our daily newsletter (www.walesonline.co.uk)