A pensioner died two days after a collision on a country road in Cumbria after an airbag did not deploy, an inquest has heard.
Ronald Simpkins, 89, a retired industrial chemist, was a passenger in a blue Vauxhall Astra on the A685 in the Grayrigg area on August 22. His wife Jean was driving.
Margaret Taylor, assistant coroner for Cumbria, has formally opened an inquest into Mr Simpkins’ death today.
She said: “They had been travelling along a country road between Tebay and Kendal when the driver of a vehicle behind appeared to be wanting to overtake.
“Jean moved to the left and struck the verge hard, at approximately 30mph, causing the vehicle to spin around. The driver’s airbag deployed but the passenger airbag did not.”
Initially Mr Simpkins, of Yarm, North Yorkshire, had seemed fine and was able to get out of the car. His wife contacted the ambulance service and they were taken to Kendal’s Westmorland General Hospital.
“Ronald became increasingly agitated and he was transferred to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary,” said the coroner.
An urgent CT scan showed an acute brain bleed. “It was clear that Ronald had sustained an unsurvivable brain injury and this is what led to his death on August 24.”
The coroner had been offered a cause of death due to pneumonia, extensive subdural haemorrhage, with a secondary cause of dementia, frailty and old age, and ischaemic heart disease.
“In view of the circumstances in which Ronald sustained his injury, which led to his death, it will be necessary for there to be an inquest,” Ms Taylor concluded.
The hearing was adjourned until February 6. Pending the completion of all enquiries, a full inquest is due to take place on that date.
