An inquest heard that a private ambulance driver passed away after accidentally swerving into the path of a lorry.
On his way to William Harvey Hospital in Ashford on February 29, Kevin Goldsmith, of Hawthorn Avenue in Sheerness, perished in a collision on the A251 Ashford Road, Faversham, close to the M2 intersection.
At 2:24 PM, Mr. Goldsmith’s Ford Transit van and a white DAF truck that was travelling on the other side of the street collided, resulting in the need for police intervention.
Robert Yates, the forensic collision investigator, submitted a report, which coroner Katrina Hepburn read aloud at the man’s inquest today (September 13) at Oakwood House in Maidstone.
He discovered that the Ford’s driver had “failed to negotiate” the left-hand bend, causing the collision with the lorry.
Stuart Ashton, the driver of the lorry, “had little more than a second to respond before the collision itself,” according to Mr. Yates.
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“I think [Asshton’s] response was timely, the collision was inevitable, and there’s no proof he was using a phone at the time of the incident,” he stated.
The van’s passenger noticed Mr. Goldsmith’s arm swerving to the left “really quickly” before the collision while he was watching TikTok videos on his phone.
He claimed that Mr. Goldsmith, a Sittingbourne employee of Dignity Funeral Services, had been in a “good mood all day” and did not appear to be tired at the moment.
The report also stated that all passengers had their seatbelts fastened and that the airbags were properly inflated. According to dash cam footage, the truck was “slowing before the impact occurred” and was moving at about 23 mph at the time of the collision.
When the transit van crossed the single-carriageway’s centre line, it was moving at about 40 mph.
The court was shown dash cam footage and CCTV from a nearby property that captured the exact moment the private ambulance veered into the lorry’s path.
The police investigation determined that Kevin Goldsmith, the driver of the vehicle, was the primary cause of the incident and that the lorry driver could not have avoided the collision at all.
“The Ford moved into the incoming carriageway and the impact was extensive,” Ms. Hepburn stated during the inquest.
“I’m confident that the car moved over for no other reason than that there were no underlying problems with the road.
“I have no idea why the vehicle drifted into the incoming carriageway.”
She stated that multiple injuries were the medical cause of death and that a “road traffic accident” was the most appropriate conclusion.
“This man is just the best dad any kid could have,” said Tracey Goldsmith, Mr. Goldsmith’s ex-wife and “best friend,” in an emotional remembrance that she shared with KentOnline.
The happiest children to have him as a father are Max and Maci.
He was a daily witness to our “dynamic duo,” and he lived for it.
“Our world is completely destroyed, and I don’t know how I’m going to handle life without my best friend here.”
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