Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2020

Gary Sloan

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2020-0009, written 22 Jan 2020. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report22 Jan 2020
Reference2020-0009
DeceasedGary Sloan
CoronerDerek Winter
Coroner areaSunderland
CategoryRoad (Highways Safety) related deaths
Sourcejudiciary.uk record · original PDF
Responses published1

The report

Text recovered by OCR from a scanned PDF. OCR is imperfect: check anything you rely on against the source PDF. Reproduced verbatim, including the scan's own layout.

Derek Winter DL
Senior Coroner for the City of Sunderland

REGULATION 28 REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS
THIS REPORT IS BEING SENT TO:
Mr Peter McIntyre

Executive Director of City Development
Sunderland City Council

CORONER

I am Derek Winter DL, Senior Coroner for the City of Sunderland

CORONER’S LEGAL POWERS

I make this report under paragraph 7, Schedule 5, of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009
and regulations 28 and 29 of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013.
http://www. legislation. gov.uk/ukpga/2009/25/schedule/5/paragraph/7

http://www. legislation. gov.uk/uksi/2013/1629/part/7/made

INVESTIGATION and INQUEST

Gary Ronald Sloan was born on 15" September 1980 and died on 16" August 2019,
aged 38 years. The cause of his death was Multiple Injuries.

I opened and adjourned an Inquest into his death as part of my Investigation on 20"
August 2019.

The Inquest was heard on 17" January 2020 when I gave a conclusion of Road Traffic
Collision and further recorded that: -

“Gary Ronald Sloan died at the scene of a road traffic collision on the A690
Eastbound Houghton Cut Houghton Le Spring having lost control of his vehicle.’

CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH

Gary Ronald Sloan was driving his motor vehicle on the Eastbound A690 dual
carriageway, when it aquaplaned on surface water, span and left the road going down the
embankment and then collided with a tree. Speed and an underinflated tyre were factors
in the fatal road traffic collision.

CORONER’S CONCERNS

Following the Police Road Traffic Collision Report, I heard evidence that there were 15
slight injury, 4 serious injury and 2 fatal (including this incident) road traffic collisions
on the A690 between the junction with High Lane to the East and A182 to the West
between 31* October 2014 and 31 October 2019.

Civic Centre, Burdon Road, Sunderland, SR2 7DN
Tel 0191 5617843 | Fax 01915537803 | DX 60729 Sunderland
www.sunderlandcoroner.co.uk

Although this section of the A690 does not automatically qualify for the installation of a
safety road restriction system, as this was the second fatal road traffic collision at the
exact location and the same tree, the decision may need to be reviewed together with a
reassessment of the drainage and clearance of surface water schedule.

| ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN
In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you have the
power to take such action.

YOUR RESPONSE

You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date of this report,
namely by 18" March 2020. I, the Coroner, may extend the period.

Your response must contain details of action taken or proposed to be taken, setting out
the timetable for action. Otherwise you must explain why no action is proposed.

COPIES and PUBLICATION

Ihave sent a copy of my report to the Chief Coroner and to the following Interested
Persons: -

e Family

e Chief Constable Winton Keenen, Northumbria Police

I am also under a duty to send the Chief Coroner a copy of your response.

The Chief Coroner may publish either or both in a complete or redacted or summary

| form. He may send a copy of this report to any person who he believes may find it useful
or of interest. You may make representations to me, the coroner, at the time of your
response, about the release or the publication of your response by the Chief Coroner.

Dated this 22" day of January 2020

Senior Coroner for the City of Sunderland

Responses

1 response published against this report on judiciary.uk. A response is a body's written reply to the coroner's concerns; publication is at the discretion of the Chief Coroner's office, so an absent response does not mean nobody replied.

Response from Sunderland City Council (PDF)
o@
Sunderland
City Council

. » City Development Directorate
Mr Derek Winter DL Civic Centre
Her Majesty's Senior Coroner for the City of Sunderland Sunderland
Office of the HM Coroner SR2 7DN
Civic Centre, Burdon Road Tel: 0191 520 5555
Sunderland Web: www.sunderland.gov.uk
SR2 7DN
Date: 11 March 2020
Our ref:
Your ref:

This matter is being dealt with by: HN Asset and Network Manager,
Infrastructure, Planning and Transportation, City Development Directorate, Sunderland City
Council, Jack Crawford House, Commercial Road, Sunderland, SR2 8QR. Tel 5611298

Dear Mr Winter

REGULATION 28 REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS-Gary Ronald Sloan

! refer to your report detailing the circumstances and your recommendations
following the road traffic collision which tragically took the life of Mr Sloan. My
deepest condolences rest with Mr Sloan’s family and friends.

Whilst acknowledging your concerns | would say that the A690 is one of the city’s
primary routes carrying nearly 33000 vehicles per day, the vast majority of which
travel without incident or harm.

In terms of the stretch of road in question, the council takes its responsibilities for
road safety seriously and as such in 2016 a road safety scheme was completed at
the High Lane-A690 Junction which has since resulted in a reduction in accidents. In
addition, the council has recently introduced an order which bans U turns along this
length of the A690 to reduce the risk of unnecessary vehicle conflict, plans of which
are attached for your records.

| note your acceptance that this section of road would be considered low risk when
determining the installation of a Vehicle Restraint System, however | can state that
the council will look to include a scheme in its 2020-2021 capital programme which
will mitigate the risk of serious injury to drivers at this location.

In answering your drainage concerns | would say that the frequency of gully cleaning
was appropriate and would also confirm that the side entry gully, nearby to the
incident, will be replaced with a top entry gully in the spring. For your records | have
enclosed a plan showing the location of the proposed gully.

| will of course advise you when all these works have been completed.

| trust that the council's proposals as set out address your concerns, however should
you require any further clarifications please don’t hesitate to contact me again.
Yours sincerely

wi

Executive Director of City Development

Encs: 1. Prohibition of U Turns Pian
2. New Gully Replacement Plan

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