A tired DHL deliver driver is likely to have died in a crash due to falling asleep at the wheel near the end of his shift, Derby Coroner’s Court heard.
HGV driver Arron Middleton, 31, was nearing the end of his shift when he drove into the back of another truck, which was in stationary traffic on the A50 in Derbyshire, near Chellaston.
The inquest heard that Middleton, who was from Eastwood in Nottingham, was on his way back to the depot at East Midlands Airport, on January 12 2021 at 7pm,when he collided into the back of queuing stationary traffic. He died at the scene of the collision.
Peter Nieto, area coroner for Derby and Derbyshire, held the inquest at Derby Coroner’s Court last week. The court heard that East Midlands Ambulance Service arrived on the scene of the collision on the A50 at 7.31pm, and found Middleton to be alert, but trapped by his legs in the driver’s seat of his lorry.
As the cab of the lorry was moved backwards to remove Middleton, he immediately lost consciousness. Attempts were made to resuscitate Middleton at the scene but were unsuccessful.
Dr Terrance Jones, a pathologist, conducted a post-mortem examination on Middleton on January 20 and gave cause of death as lower limb and pelvic injury due to a road traffic collision.
Christopher Moylan, who was in the truck which Middleton’s lorry collided with told the inquest he had come to a stop with his hazard lights on. He added: “After about three seconds of being stationary I felt a shunt forwards. The force had come from behind and shunted my vehicle forwards, causing my vehicle to hit the white BMW.”
A few minutes before the collision, Middleton had pulled into a lay-by for unknown reasons. The inquest heard that it is suspected that due to being near the end of his shift, Middleton may have been suffering from driver fatigue and had suffered from micro-sleep – the act of falling asleep for a few seconds.
The coroner concluded that Mr Middleton died as a result of his injuries he sustained from the crash.
