Drivers blast police over crash

Mr Lloyd-Brown was on his way to work in Dorchester when he died

Dorset Police have been criticised for allowing a "dangerously" wide load to travel without police escort when it was involved in a fatal crash.

William Lloyd-Brown's Peugeot and the lorry collided in Winterborne Zelston in January, an inquest heard.

The 60-year-old staff nurse from Bournemouth died at the scene on the A31 from multiple injuries.

Other drivers who had to swerve to avoid the load criticised the police's decision to allow the load to travel.

Mr Lloyd-Brown was on his way to work at Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester in the early hours of 22 January when the collision happened.

A Dorset Police escort set off with the lorry and trailer, which was travelling from Portland through Weymouth, Bournemouth, Poole and East Dorset Coroner's Court heard.

Mounting verges

But about half an hour before the fatal collision, it left the 93ft (28m), 124-ton vehicle to continue to Middlesbrough with a private escort van.

Motorists who described swerving to avoid the lorry, mounting verges and fearing for their lives, criticised the decision to allow the badly-lit load to travel along the country roads on a dark morning.

Retired police officer Graham Collins was one of several motorists who had to swerve to avoid crashing into it.

Having heard the evidence, a view may be formed there should be more involvement of police Coroner Sheriff Payne

He said: "I do not think this type of load should be moved on the road in the darkness.

"I would even go so far as to say this was dangerous."

Another driver, Paul Stainwright, said he had to swerve into the hedge while another, Dennis Light, said he had to mount the verge to avoid hitting the load, which was travelling at 40mph to 45mph.

Coroner Sheriff Payne told the jury that the 13ft (4m) wide load was sticking over the white line into the opposite lane.

"There is no compulsion for police to escort heavy loads," he said.

"Having heard the evidence, a view may be formed there should be more involvement of police.

"Maybe the police should have continued to escort the load beyond Weymouth in view of the particular circumstances of this case."

Two men were initially arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving but later released, the jury heard.

Dorset Police said it changed its policy on abnormal loads following the collision.

Assistant Chief Constable Adrian Whiting told the inquest: "We seek abnormal loads to move during daylight with a contractor's escort as this one did or if it is necessary to move at dark we would now require a police escort for the entirety of the movement of the journey."

He said police had been following the Highways Agency code of practice at the time and added that the force had no power to prevent abnormal loads from travelling.

The inquest continues.