Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2022

Sasha-Raven Marie Brown

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2022-0057, written 18 Feb 2022. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report18 Feb 2022
Reference2022-0057
DeceasedSasha-Raven Marie Brown
CoronerJohn Broadbridge
Coroner areaNorth Yorkshire and York including North Yorkshire Western District
CategoryRoad (Highways Safety) related deaths · Other related deaths
Sourcejudiciary.uk record · original PDF
Responses publishednone published

The report

Text extracted from the PDF text layer. Reproduced verbatim, including the scan's own layout.

REGULATION  28:  REPORT TO  PREVENT  FUTURE  DEATHS  (1) 

NOTE:  This  form  is to  be  used after an inquest. 

REGULATION  28  REPORT TO  PREVENT  FUTURE DEATHS 

THIS  REPORT  IS  BEING  SENT TO: 

1.  Senior Engineer,  Traffic  Engineering  North Yorkshire County Council (“the 
Highway Authority”)  of County Hall,  Racecourse Lane,  Northallerton, 
N.Yorkshire 

CORONER 

I  am  John  Nigel  BROADBRIDGE  assistant coroner, for the coroner area of North 
Yorkshire  and  York  including  North  Yorkshire Western  District 

2 

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. 

3 

INVESTIGATION  and INQUEST 

On  21  January 2021  an  investigation  commenced  into  the death  of Sasha- Raven  Marie 
Brown  aged  21  years.  The  investigation concluded  at the  end  of the  inquest on  16 
February 2022, 

The conclusion  of the  inquest was that  Miss  Brown  died  because of  multiple  major 
injuries  due  to  a  Road Traffic  Collision. 

A  formal  Conclusion of Road  Traffic  Collision  was  recorded. 

4 

CIRCUMSTANCES  OF THE  DEATH 

On  19  January 2021  Miss  Brown  was  the unaccompanied  driver of a  motor car on  the 
A6068  between  Cowling  and  Glusburn  travelling  down  an  incline where  the road  surface 
was very wet due  to  heavy falls  of rain.  She lost control  of the vehicle  in  the wet 
conditions  and  came into  collision with  an  oncoming  car.  She suffered  serious  injuries  in 
that collision from  which  she was  recognised  as deceased there  at  12.49  hours  that 
same  afternoon. 

5 

CORONER’S CONCERNS 

During  the  course of the  inquest the evidence revealed  matters giving  rise to  concern.  In 
my opinion  there  is  a  risk  that future  deaths  could  occur unless action  is  taken.  In  the 
circumstances it  is  my statutory duty to  report to  you. 

The  MATTERS  OF  CONCERN  are  as follows.  — 

It  is  acknowledged  that officers  of the  Highway Authority were  not  called  to  give 
evidence at the  Inquest  Hearing  nor was the Authority designated  as an  Interested 
Person for  the  purposes of disclosure and  participation  at the  Hearing.  There  had  been 
a  written  Report  Collision  ref 01 -21  however from  the Authority received  at the  Hearing 

OFFICIAL  SENSITIVE

-

 relating  to  the  roadway being  the “A6068  Come  Road  between  Carr  Head  Lane and 
New  Hall  Farm  near Cowling/Crosshills,  Craven  District” 

However the  evidence  revealed: 

a)  The  particular stretch of the  A6068 was  known  to  local,  and  other motorists 

familiar with  it,  as  being frequently  incapable of adequately and  safely clearing 
surface storm  and  rainwater off the carriageway surface,  thereby to  make  the 
road  as reasonably safe  as  possible for the  passage of  motor vehicles, 
especially those travelling  down  the  incline  (as  was the  deceased). 

b)  That water flowed  and flows  rapidly  down  the  incline. 

It  was  (and  is)  is  not 

adequately regulated  by  drains  and  did  not  (and  does  not)  get  away.  Instead 
water which  came  off (and  comes  off)  adjacent land  as well  as the  road  itself 
accumulated  (and  accumulates)  in  volume.  The want  of appropriate  cambers 
and  slopes  across the  carriageway allowed  (and  allows)  and  indeed  encouraged 
(and  encourages) the water flow  across the whole  of the carriageway,  rather 
than  be conducted along  drainage  channels to  the  sides  of the  carriageway. 
c)  The  profile  of the  roadway meant (and  means) that  the water was  (and  is  likely 
to  be)  thrown  back (and  forth)  across the  carriageway  The evidence  showed  a 
heavy water flow  spread  right  across  the carriageway into  the deceased’s  path 
from  the  deceased’s offside to  nearside.  That had  been from  an  accumulation 
of water after there  was  a  flow  nearside to  offside a short distance  back from  the 
incident scene. 

d)  The  process of simply  cleaning  out  drains  was  not  (and  has  not  been) adequate 
to  minimise the  risk  to  road  users. The  evidence pointed  to  the  need  to  make 
significant permanent  road  engineering  alterations  to  the  camber,  layout,  profile 
and  slopes  of the  road  surface and  drains.  The  evidence  indicated  that the  high 
levels  of traversing  water were  not  rare  occurrences,  creating what was  found  to 
be a  ‘notoriety’.  Climate change will  increase the  likelihood  of adverse  incidents 
such as was evidenced  happening in  the future,  causing  increased  risk  of death. 
The roadway here will  remain  a  high  risk,  as  it  was for the deceased, for fatal 
accidents. 

e)  There were (and  are)  no  signs/signage  indicating the  risk  of the  road  ‘flooding’, 

whether temporary or permanent at this  location.  Those familiar with  it, 
including  the  Police  expert,  knew  it  for the  past and  present risk  of loss  of 
control.  That  should  not  mean  the  risk  can  be  acceptable. 

f)  The Authority  must consider promptly  permanent road  engineering  solutions  and 

implement  those  appropriate to  make this  road  as  safe as reasonably  possible. 

6 

ACTION  SHOULD  BE  TAKEN 

In  my opinion  action  should  be taken  to  prevent future  deaths  and  I  believe  you  and  your 
organisation  have the  power to  take  such  action. 

7 

YOUR  RESPONSE 

You  are  under a  duty to  respond  to  this  report within  56  days of the date  of this  report, 
namely  by  Friday 22  April  2022.  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. 

8 

COPIES  and  PUBLICATION 

I  have  sent a copy of my  report to  the  Chief Coroner and  to  the  following  Interested 
Persons 

2 

OFFICIAL- SENSITIVE 

 ,  Mother of Miss  Brown 

I  have  also sent it  to  Chief Constable,  North  Yorkshire  Police,  Alverton  Court,  Crosby 
Road,  Northailerton,  DLG  1BF 
who  may find  it  useful  or of  interest. 

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. 

9lFebruary2O22 

SIGNED  BY 

3 

flPPWIAI 

SFNSITIVr

-

Related reports

Other reports by John Broadbridge

See all →

More reports categorised “Road (Highways Safety) related deaths”

See all →

Track Road (Highways Safety) related deaths

See every Prevention of Future Deaths report matching Road (Highways Safety) related deaths, and how often a new one appears.

What would an alert for this have sent me? Search the full text

Free to try — the preview shows the real matches and how many arrived in the last 12 months. Your first email alert is free.

These reports are published by the Chief Coroner's office at judiciary.uk and are © Crown copyright. The text here is reproduced from the published PDF so it can be searched. If something on this page is wrong, or you are a person named in it and want it reviewed, email drcjar@gmail.com and we will act promptly.