Two postmen died after car they were in became 'airborne'

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Two postmen died after car they were in became 'airborne' on a bumpy road near Ashby

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Two postmen died after the car they were travelling in became "airborne" on a bumpy road before crashing into trees and hedges.

Driver Stephen O'Brien, 51, and passenger Charlie Cooper, 49, were travelling along Willesley Woodside, near Ashby, when Mr O'Brien lost control of the vehicle.

An inquest at Loughborough Coroner's Court yesterday was told the vehicle ended up on its roof after crashing on to a railway line below the road.

Witness Stuart Wood said he did not notice the black car until he went round the bend and suddenly it was right behind him.

"It overtook me safely and returned to the correct side of the road," he said.

"Then, 200 yards in front of me, the car appeared to get airborne and, when it came back down, the front was pointing towards the hedge on the left.

"At that point it swerved right and went off the road on the other side.

"The road has ripples in it – it's a bit undulating – but it's a straight road."

Mr Wood was asked by Howard Davies, a lawyer representing Mr Cooper's family, if he could estimate the car's speed.

He said the vehicle must have been travelling at almost 70mph. The speed limit on that section is 60mph.

After the crash, Mr Wood called 999 but said he could not immediately see the Nissan 350Z, which had gone through a hedge, smashed through a fence and travelled through the air, knocking down trees, before hitting the railway below.

The crash happened at 6pm on July 24 last year.

The inquest heard both men, who did postal rounds in Ashby and lived in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, had been wearing seatbelts.

Collision investigator Rachel Marston examined the scene of the crash shortly afterwards.

She also used an identical car to see how well it handled the road at high speed, closing the road to conduct test runs at up to 75mph. The test found that when driven in a straight line, the car remained on the road at any speed.

She concluded that speed, the road surface and the fact the Nissan had just overtaken Mr Wood's vehicle were all factors in the crash.

She said: "My conclusion is that it was a consequence of the speed of the vehicle, the change in direction following the overtaking and the undulating road surface.

"In isolation, the undulating road surface is not an issue."

Coroner Carolyn Hull recorded a verdict that both men "died as a result of a road traffic collision".

She told both the families: "I hope we've been able to give you some answers to the questions you came to court with."