Tragedy as boy dies after horrific bus collision leading to road closure in HUDDERSFIELD

Medical experts have given evidence at the inquest into death of Katelyn Dawson,oct  23, in 2024

A driver may have inadvertently accelerated due to the effects of falling ill and fainting a few moments before his BMW struck and killed Huddersfield schoolgirl Katelyn Dawson, an inquest heard.

Driver Richard Brooke said he felt sick and warm and with ‘tunnel vision’ shortly shortly before a collision which he said he had no memory of. The crash in Moldgreen, Huddersfield, in January 2018 led to the death of Katelyn, 15, and injured two others. Mr Brooke, of Fenay Bridge, Huddersfield, said he had been planning to pull over due to feeling increasingly unwell, having dropped his son off at school earlier that morning.

An inquest into Katelyn’s death heard today from Dr Christopher Derry who gave evidence about what may have caused Mr Brooke to lose control of the car. Dr Derry, a consultant neurologist with an interest in the diagnosis of blackouts, said Mr Brooke’s account was consistent with him suffering a ‘medical episode’ at the wheel. Dr Derry said the blackout may have caused the driver’s legs to stiffen and put pressure on the accelerator pedal.

He said it was ‘unlikely’ that Mr Brooke had fallen asleep at the wheel as there was no evidence he was sleep deprived and because the collision had happened in the morning when people were usually at their most alert.

Dr Derry was asked for his opinion on whether Mr Brooke might have been ‘distracted’ while driving. He said the incident in question seemed ‘prolonged’ in nature and seemed to have involved the car ‘drifting’ and with no last-minute braking taking place. He said this pointed to “incapacitation rather than distraction” in relation to the driver.

Dr Derry said the evidence supported the driver having a ‘blackout’ caused by a drop in blood pressure. He said blackouts happening to people while sitting were ‘a little unusual’ but ‘not that rare’.

The doctor said a high proportion of fainting episodes led to ‘stiffening and jerking’ which may have led to Mr Brooke’s legs becoming rigid, possibly causing pressure to be maintained on the car’s accelerator pedal.

The inquest, which was attended by Katelyn’s mum and dad, Angela and Colin, heard evidence had been presented that the BMW had accelerated from around 30mph to 34mph which was said to be the speed at the time of impact.

Dr Derry said some people who experienced fainting would have almost no warning before it took place.

The inquest was told that Katelyn was taken to hospital in Leeds where she died while surrounded by her loving family.

Senior coroner Martin Fleming said the pathologist’s report – which concluded Katelyn had died from multiple injuries – completed the evidence.

Mr Fleming said he was considering different possible conclusions in relation to Katelyn’s death: that she died as a result of an accident, or that she died due to a road traffic collision. A third would be a ‘narrative’ conclusion (which usually involves a brief explanation of the facts).

Earlier this week the inquest heard that Mr Brooke had been taking antibiotics for a cold, a wheezy chest and sweats for two days prior to the collision.

Mr Brooke was never charged over the collision after the Crown Prosecution Service declined to prosecute after medical evidence confirmed he had suffered a fainting episode while at the wheel.