Road killed my son - mum
Yesterday coroner Alan Crickmore ruled that 20-year-old Lee Morgan probably lost control of his car because he misjudged the bend on the A48 at Minsterworth close to the Severn Bore pub.
But Lee's mum Deborah, who was passenger in the car when Lee crashed on September 6 last year, said the surface of the road was to blame.
Speaking after an accidental verdict was recorded on the death of Lee she said: "I feel the road surface was worse than we have heard. I think that road killed my son."
The inquest heard how temporary 'slippery road' signs had gone up at the scene a few weeks before the tragedy.
They had been installed because of local concern about the road which, when tested, was found to be in need of attention to improve the friction of the surface.
Although Mrs Morgan was a passenger in her son's Fiesta at the time of the tragedy she has no memory of what happened.
Lee who was a sailor serving on HMS Argyll at Plymouth and was known as Rattler to his shipmates, died at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol four days after the crash. His organs from his body were later used for transplants.
Lee's mum told the inquest that whenever she had been a passenger in his car she had found his driving to be good and safe.
Witness Angela Smith said she was in a line of vehicles which was being led by Lee's car.
"As we approached the abattoir we were doing about 40mph," she said,
"Approaching the right hand bend the black small car that was first in line started to snake from side to side. It went out of view. I heard a very loud bang. I could see it had collided with something on the left of the road. I could see it was extensively damaged and I thought it had been in collision with the wall.
"I could not see any reason why the black car had lost control. It had seemed to be travelling on the correct side of the road and within the normal speed limit.
"I have never had any difficulties on that stretch of road. But it is a bad road - when it is wet it is quite slippy."
Police collision investigator Darren Williams said that following a second fatal crash just ten hours later on the same stretch of road he carried out skid tests and there was nothing to alarm him from the results.
Scott Tompkin, of Gloucestershire County Council's road condition survey team said the results of a 2007 skid test on the road showed it needed investigation but was not a priority site.
The road was re-textured last October, he added.
Recording his verdict the coroner said: "I am not satisfied the road surface itself contributed to the collision but there is evidence to suggest that the wetness or dryness of the road surface has been relevant.
"I think it is more likely than not that he misjudged the steering here, lost control and collided with the telegraph pole."
KILLED: Lee Morgan
