Dad killed by soldier who had ‘ten lagers’

A soldier who died when the automobile he was driving crashed into one other automobile, killing its driver, had drunk ten lagers plus pictures of Sambuca earlier than getting behind the wheel, an inquest heard.

Witness statements revealed 27-year-old Lance Corporal Adam Milton, from Ballyclare in Northern Eire, was greater than thrice the authorized alcohol restrict when he crashed on the A53 close to Market Drayton in Shropshire final 12 months.

A forensic crash investigator estimated Mr Milton had been travelling at greater than 100 miles an hour, and mentioned he was “wholly accountable” for the occasions.

The opposite man killed was Wayne Neville, a 42-year-old father-of-two from Market Drayton. He too died on the scene.

Mr Milton served with the Royal Irish Regiment and was primarily based at Clive Barracks in Tern Hill, Shropshire.

A passenger in his automobile on the night time in query, Mervin Younger, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening accidents.

He was an infantry soldier who lived in the identical hall as Mr Milton at Clive Barracks, and offered to the listening to particulars of their intoxication.

He mentioned the pair began consuming at about 19:00 BST on 6 September, and estimated that that they had consumed “about ten lagers every” and “pictures of Sambuca from the bottle”.

He informed the courtroom he couldn’t “bear in mind moving into the automobile with Adam”, and other than momentary reminiscences of his “good good friend” driving, he couldn’t “recall the rest till [he] awakened in hospital”.

Mr Younger apologised to the households of each males for not having the ability to bear in mind extra.

The inquest heard the 2 automobiles – a silver Volkswagen Passat pushed by Mr Milton, and a Nissan Almira pushed by Mr Neville – crashed head on at 23:57 BST that day.

The busy stretch of the A53 the place the crash occurred, between the Tern Hill and Muller roundabouts, has a velocity restrict of 60mph.

A toxicology report for Mr Milton – a father of two – acknowledged his blood alcohol content material was 260mg/dl, with the authorized restrict being 80mg/dl.

Forensic pathologists decided his major reason behind dying to be “a number of traumatic accidents”, with “acute alcohol intoxication” a secondary trigger.

Mr Neville’s reason behind dying was confirmed to be “a number of traumatic accidents”.

One other witness, farmer David Swinnerton, informed the inquest he was travelling on the A41 between Newport and Tern Hill when Mr Milton’s silver Volkswagen Passat overtook him, chopping in behind the automobile in entrance “at velocity”.

Mr Swinnerton remarked that he “was amazed [the Volkswagen] did not hit the automobile”, and observed the automobile doing one other overtake up forward.

Anthony Higginson, his sister Louise Taylor, and their father had been dropping off household in Market Drayton once they encountered Mr Milton’s automobile, the courtroom heard.

“Behind me I might hear the squealing of tyres,” Mr Higginson recalled, including that he noticed the Volkswagen “hit the grass verge” because it overtook them.

“I bear in mind saying out loud ‘take a look at this fool’,” he added.

Ms Taylor mentioned she remembered considering that it was “an accident ready to occur”, as the motive force “did not appear to have management”.

Mr Higginson added that after a short while, he heard “a loud bang”, quickly encountering “particles and glass on the highway”.

Discovering the crash, the household then known as the emergency companies.

A forensic collision investigator for West Mercia Police acknowledged that each automobiles’ speedometers had been frozen by the crash, that means the velocity at which they had been travelling could possibly be estimated.

Mr Neville was travelling between 30 and 35mph, he mentioned, whereas Mr Milton was driving at a velocity of between 102 and 104mph.

The courtroom heard that examinations discovered Mr Neville had utilized his automobile’s brakes, however Mr Milton had not.

The investigator concluded that Mr Milton’s Volkswagen “made no try and keep away from collision”, which occurred as a consequence of a “mixture of extra alcohol, extra velocity, and the Volkswagen being on the fallacious aspect of the highway”.

“The driving force of the Volkswagen [Mr Milton] was wholly chargeable for the collision,” he acknowledged.

Chatting with Mr Neville’s household and mates – ten of whom had packed out the small courtroom room – the coroner mentioned it was “a testomony to Wayne that you’re all right here”.

In September 2024, Mrs Neville paid tribute to her husband – often known as “Nevdog” to these near him.

“Our hearts are damaged, and all of us miss him terribly,” she mentioned, including that “he was a loving and devoted husband, a considerate brother and son, and an incredible and caring father to Morgan and Ruby.”

“I really like you extra, the tip, I win – your Mrs Nevdog.”

Concluding the proceedings, coroner John Ellery recorded that each males had died as a consequence of a highway site visitors collision.

Mr Ellery acknowledged that whereas his “function is not to apportion blame”, he agreed with investigators’ statements that Mr Milton was “wholly accountable” for the crash.