Forest death 'accidental'

GUSTY wind knocked a delivery van off course and into an oncoming car, killing its 31-year-old driver on the B2026 at Kingstanding.

An inquest heard how the front offside corner of Steven Anthony Evans white Citroen Berlingo was crushed by an out-of-control Ford Iveco Turbo being driven by Simon Holmes of Gosport, Hampshire.

Mr Holmes was, at the time, a goods deliverer working in the south east from a base in Portsmouth. He told the coroner that he was very familiar with the A2026 through Ashdown Forest as he had to drive along it about twice a week.

On April 5 last year, he was negotiating a right-hand bend in the road near the Kingstanding car park when the back nearside wheel of his van clipped the verge, sending the rear end of the vehicle into the air and 'bouncing the van into the oncoming lane, and Mr Evans Citroen.

The van came to rest on its side across the two lanes of the 40 mph-limit road, although Mr Holmes was able to escape unhurt.

Laura Morphew, of Manor Park, Uckfield, saw the events unfolding as she sat in her Mini Metro in the car park. She had a passenger in the car with her at the time.

'We stayed in the car because it was too windy to walk, she said. 'It was very blustery indeed.

Mr Holmes, 26, told the coroner that he felt his van being heavily jolted by 'a very violent gust of wind as he rounded the corner. The sequence of events that followed would have taken place very quickly indeed, said a crash investigator.

Both Mr Holmes and the family of Steven Evans were legally represented at the inquest. The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.