A 55-YEAR-OLD man's ability to drive safely may have been impaired by alcohol and drugs when he crashed his car head-on into a lorry near Northleach, an inquest heard on November 19, writes John Hawkins.

David Kempster of Highwood Avenue, Cheltenham, had morphine in his blood at a level sufficient to cause impairment, the Gloucester inquest was told.

Post mortem tests also found that his blood contained alcohol at a level of 73mgs - only just beneath the legal drink-drive limit.

Mr Kempster was driving a Ford Focus on the A40 near the junction with the A429 at Hampnett, just outside Northleach, on July 28 last year when he went into the oncoming lane and was in collision with an articulated lorry, the inquest heard. He died from multiple injuries.

Assistant Gloucestershire Coroner Roland Wooderson recorded a conclusion of road traffic collision.

Collision investigator Pc Gemma Carman said she had viewed dashcam footage from the cab of the Volvo lorry and it showed Mr Kempster's car 'leaving its lane and coming into the lorry's lane.'

Subsequent investigation of Mr Kempster's car showed the rear tyres were under-inflated. The speedometer was showing 49mph, which was likely to be the speed he was doing at the time of impact, she said.

No defects were found in the road and there was nothing to indicate that the lorry was driving at excess speed. It was clear from the dashcam footage, she added, that the lorry had braked hard, leaving locked tyre marks on the road, as the driver tried to stop before the collision.

"He was braking hard and locking the brakes for quite a lengthy period of time prior to collision," she said. "There is no evidence that Mr Kempster had swerved to avoid anything in the road - there is nothing to indicate that was the case."

Recording his conclusion, the coroner said there was clear evidence found in post mortem samples that Mr Kempster's ability to drive safely may have been impaired.