Abnormal load death an accident

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

An accidental death verdict has been recorded over the death of a nurse whose car collided with an abnormal load travelling with no police escort.

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

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

Motorists told the inquest they had to swerve to avoid the load. Dorset Police is conducting an "urgent review".

A police escort set off with the Volvo lorry and its trailer from Portland through Weymouth in the early hours of 22 January.

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

'Pinch point'

Drivers who had to swerve to avoid the load criticised the police's decision to allow the badly-lit load to travel along country roads in the dark, the inquest was told.

To move at dark we would now require a police escort for the entirety of the movement of the journey Asst Ch Con Adrian Whiting

The jury at Bournemouth returned an accidental death verdict and said: "The collision occurred at a pinch point.

"There was no warning mark on the protruding part of the vehicle."

Asst Ch Con 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.

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