A PENSIONER who crashed on a notorious bend, hitting a telegraph pole and a stone wall, told paramedics he had blacked out seconds before it happened.

An inquest in Bradford yesterday heard how Peter Ward survived the high-speed impact but died the next day.

The 80-year-old, of Cooper Lane, Wibsey, was found dazed and trying to get out of his car by a passing motorist who called the emergency services.

Mr Ward had to be airlifted to Leeds General Infirmary.

The crash happened on December 4 last year on a tight bend near farmland in Giles Hall Lane, Shelf. No other vehicle was involved.

Assistant Coroner Kirsty Gomersal was told Mr Ward had only just started driving again after recovering from a fall on a hospital ward two months earlier.

The grandfather, who was a retired fitter, had taken medical advice before getting back behind the wheel, said his daughter Dawn Garnett.

His original collapse in hospital had been put down to the effects of anaesthetic he had for an elective operation.

Mrs Garnett told the inquest her father had always been a “careful and cautious” driver who knew the rural route and was aware of the notorious bend which is well marked and has an advisory 25mph warning.

She said speeding would have been out-of-character for him and on the morning of the crash he told her he was feeling “great”.

The inquest heard how Mr Ward had failed to negotiate the bend with his car carrying straight on.

Collision investigator Robert Ayre told the inquest there were no tyre marks on the road to show Mr Ward had tried to take evasive steering or braking.

The car was roadworthy and the speedometer had stopped on impact at about 52mph, he said.

“It may be the result of a driver becoming incapacitated while the vehicle was in motion,” he said.

Sergeant Carl Quinn, of the West Yorkshire Police Major Collision Investigation Team, agreed it was a suitable explanation.

He said the bend was well-known in the area but added: “It’s not one that raises its head above the parapets when it comes to significant risk.”

Mr Ward’s condition deteriorated in hospital and he died on December 5 from respiratory failure caused by blunt chest trauma as a result of the collision.

Ms Gomersal said: “Evidence points to Mr Ward having some sort of event that caused him to black out shortly before the collision and therefore not being able to negotiate the bend on the road.”

Earlier, Mrs Garnett had described her dad as always putting others first and doting on his family, thinking the world of his wife Freda who organised every minute of their day.

When he died, more than 70 condolence cards were received, describing him as a true gentleman and a gentle man.

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