Crash near Towcester caused by diabetic attack - coroner

A diabetic episode caused a driver to crash into a stationary van killing its 81-year-old owner, an inquest heard.

Fred Harrison, from Bugbrooke, died in a layby on the A5 near Towcester in Northamptonshire on 23 September 2021.

The coroner's narrative conclusion was that the hypoglycaemic episode affecting the other driver, who was 19 years old, was "unpredictable" and "unpreventable".

The court heard it was unclear if he had taken any insulin that morning.

The inquest at Northampton's Guildhall heard evidence from the other driver, a 19-year-old farmworker, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes six years ago.

On the morning of the collision, he had eaten breakfast but it was unclear whether he had taken any medication to control his diabetes.

He told paramedics after the accident that he had taken insulin, but, in his statement and in the coroner's court, he said that he had not done so because he had tested himself and his blood sugar level was satisfactory.

He set off for work but remembered nothing after driving onto the A5 and heading south.

A witness gave a statement saying his car was swerving in the road and mounting the pavement.

At 07:45 BST, while Mr Harrison was unloading rubbish from his van in a layby near Astcote junction, the other driver's car hit the van, knocking Mr Harrison into a hedge.

He was declared dead at the scene from head, neck and chest injuries.

The inquest heard expert evidence suggesting that, while the 19-year-old driver normally had warning signs of an episode, it was possible that he had been unaware of the onset of this particular attack and would not have been able to prevent it.

Assistant coroner Elizabeth Wheeler found that it was more likely than not that the driver did not take insulin that morning, as his blood sugar level gave no cause for concern.

The 19-year-old was tested at the scene of the crash and his blood sugar was found to be low.

The coroner concluded: "At the time of the collision, the driver was suffering from an unpredictable and unpreventable hypoglycaemic attack of which he was unaware."

After the inquest, Mr Harrison's wife Jenny paid tribute to him: "He was my lifelong partner, husband, best friend for nearly 61 years.

"He was a Cobblers [Northampton Town FC] supporter from a young age - he went to the County Ground when George Best was there and followed them to Sixfields.

"He had his name on a seat [at the ground] and, when they replaced them, he got his by his pond, watching his fish."

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