Motorist involved in fatal crash refuses to answer coroner's questions

Oliver Gadney died on August 15, 2021, after he was hit by a Vauxhall Astra on a road known as Newton Lane between Barton Stacey and Newton Stacey, an inquest heard.

The driver of the car, Alice Kitching, was asked by area coroner Jason Pegg about the incident.

However, on the advice of her legal representative, Ms Kitching answered 'no comment' to every question.

Mr Pegg asked: "Are you going to answer no comment to all my questions?"

Ms Kitching replied: "Yes".

The coroner said it was "disrespectful" to Mr Gadney's family attending the inquest.

The hearing at Winchester Coroner's Court on Tuesday, July 25 heard that after the crash, Ms Kitching was arrested on suspicion of death by careless driving and causing death by driving a vehicle while unlicensed or uninsured.

However, she was released without charge.

A post mortem by consultant pathologist Dr Adnan Al-Badri found Mr Gadney's cause of death to be head injuries.

Winchester Coroner's Court (Image: Contrrbuted)

Mr Gadney, of Greenacres, Barton Stacey, was described as "the nicest guy you could ever meet" by Mark Wadey who was cycling with him on the day he died.

Mr Wadey said: “He was a generous, genuine and funny guy. We went cycling together on a regular basis. He was a very safe rider who always erred on the side of caution.”

READ MORE: What happens at an inquest and what can the press report?

The inquest heard that Mr Gadney and Mr Wadey approached a sharp left-hand bend in the road.

Mr Wadey said: “Suddenly the car was right there. I heard a loud bang behind me and saw Oliver catapulted over the bonnet. He was unresponsive, so I called 999.”

Ms Kitching was breathalysed at the scene, which came back negative.

In a statement to police after the incident, she said she had been a full driving licence holder for about three months and that she had been driving at a speed which was appropriate for the conditions.

However, when called to answer questions, she refused.

A forensic collision investigation report concluded that neither Mr Gadney or Ms Kitching had sufficient time to react.

Mr Pegg said: "Mr Gadney was just 45 when he died. He was a keen, frequent and experienced cyclist who was familiar with the road.

"Based on the evidence, he approached the bend at 15mph.

"Ms Kitching chose to answer all of my questions as 'no comment'. She does have the right not to incriminate herself. Ms Kitching approached the bend at 18mph. It is a narrow road with vegetation, so there was insufficient time for either of them to avoid it."

The coroner gave the cause of death as a road traffic collision and gave his condolences to the family.