A Chippenham man was killed in a head-on crash during an ‘unexpected freeze’, an inquest held at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court heard today (Wednesday).
Dan Wiles, 34, sustained fatal injuries when his Audi A1 was involved in a road traffic collision on B4039 Kents Bottom, near Chippenham, at about 7.30pm on 16 January last year.
The father-of-two, from Castle Combe, was travelling towards Yatton Keynell when the driver of a Honda CRV lost control on ice that had formed on water running across the road.
The Honda ploughed head-on into Mr Wiles – who was not wearing a seatbelt. The impact caused him significant injuries including swelling on the brain and broken legs.
As temperatures dropped below freezing, two other motorists lost control on the same patch of ice and crashed just metres away from the initial incident – both leaving the road into a ditch.
PC James Barrett told the inquest that he was aware of 35 road traffic collisions in the county that evening, compared to six the previous night and seven the night after.
He said: “In my 12 years of experience working on Wiltshire Police, six of those on the Serious Collision Investigation Team, I’ve never ever known a night like it.
“When I was at a collision, I was getting called to another collision, and actually I went that night myself to four different individual collisions that were deemed to be serious enough for me to attend – that’s something that was deemed to be serious or life-threatening.
“The night in question…was like something out of a film; it was an immediate freeze of almost everywhere, totally unexpected.”
Area coroner Ian Singleton returned a conclusion of road traffic collision. The medical cause of death was 1A multiple traumatic injuries.
He said: “I would now like to pass on to the family of Mr Wiles, my sincere condolences upon your loss and thank you for attending today.”
In a tribute at the time of his passing, the family wrote: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm that the man who was killed last Monday in a car crash was our son, Dan Wiles.
“Known to many around the Chippenham area Dan would have been so honoured with the messages we have all received and all of the family thank everyone who has been in touch with us.
“Dan leaves us heartbroken and our job now will be look after his wonderful partner Laura and his two absolutely beautiful children, Harleigh and Theo.”
