Cambridgeshire A10 crash: Killer driver died from infection

A driver who killed a man during an overtaking manoeuvre died a year later after an unrelated "overwhelming infection", an inquest heard.

Remigijus Visockas, 37, died on 19 December 2019, 13 months after a crash on the A10 in Cambridgeshire in which John Slater, 55, died.

Senior coroner David Heming called Mr Visockas' driving "truly appalling" at Mr Slater's inquest last year.

On Monday, Mr Heming found Mr Visockas died from natural causes.

Mr Slater's inquest heard that in the early hours of 5 November 2018, Mr Visockas attempted to overtake a line of vehicles near Littleport, where the road had a 60mph (95km/h) speed limit.

Witnesses said he "lost control" of his VW Passat and ploughed head-on into Mr Slater's BMW at an estimated 71 to 80mph (114 to 128km/h).

Mr Visockas had a number of injuries, but survived the crash and told police he "sought to overtake the line of traffic as he was late to work".

A police officer said he had "no doubt whatsoever" Mr Visockas, who had numerous driving-related convictions, would have been convicted of causing death by dangerous driving had he lived to face charges.

Mr Visockas' inquest heard that he was re-admitted to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge on 19 November 2019 with pneumonia.

Hospital consultant Dr Jonathan Morris said that he became "desperately unwell in the first few days after coming in".

Mr Visockas died from a multi-organ failure, and Dr Morris said his "demise was exceptionally rapid".

Mr Heming said Mr Visockas had a ruptured spleen, but he was "firmly of the opinion" that it had not been caused by the road crash.

He added it was the "overwhelming infection that Mr Visockas succumbed to".

Mr Slater's widow previously told the BBC she wished the police investigation into the crash had been completed sooner.

"It wouldn't bring John back, but it would have been a bit of a blessing to know justice had been done," she said.

An internal review into the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire roads policing unit completed in the year of the crash found "failures... requiring immediate attention" including a finding that "witnesses or suspects were not being interviewed until a considerable period of time after the incident".

A police spokesman said since this crash "the gaps in the road policing unit resources have been reviewed, addressed and rectified".

He added: "Victims and affected loved ones remain at the heart of all of our investigations and we are working hard to ensure we respond to all incidents as quickly as possible, and carry out thorough investigations in the most timely manner."

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