AN EXPERIENCED HGV driver who died after his lorry careered down an embankment when it left the Prince of Wales Bridge had lost consciousness as a result of a heart condition.
Florin Muntean had crashed into barriers on the bridge before he plummeted off the M4 as he drove into Monmouthshire in September last year, an inquest heard.
Motorists stopped their vehicles and scrambled down the roadside banking to help him, Newport Coroner's Court was told.
MORE NEWS
Among them was a doctor who tried to save the 49-year-old Romanian’s life by giving him CPR.
After first hitting a barrier, the lorry continued for more than two miles before it swerved across three lanes and collided with the central barrier at the far end of the bridge.
Mr Muntean was then “deflected across the westbound carriage” and down the embankment before the vehicle came to rest on the coastal path after being brought to a stop by a line of boulders.
The incident happened at around 10.20am on Wednesday, September 4, 2019 and he was airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.
Mr Muntean was pronounced dead at 2.39pm later that day.
The senior coroner for Gwent, Caroline Saunders, said dashcam footage from other vehicles confirmed there were “no obvious obstructions nor distractions. No other vehicle was involved at any stage of this incident.”
She added: “After the vehicle left the motorway other motorists quickly gathered to help.
“It seems that although initially Florin showed signs of life he quickly deteriorated and an attending doctor performed CPR before Florin was taken to University Hospital Wales.
“Florin underwent ongoing resuscitation at UHW, but sadly did not respond and he died at 14.39 hours.”
The coroner added: “A collision investigation could not determine any problems with the vehicle itself but the way in which the vehicle was being driven and the discovery that there was no evidence of braking at any time, suggest that Florin may have suffered a medical incident which caused him to lose control of the vehicle.
A post mortem examination did not reveal any obvious cause. Florin had not suffered a stroke or a heart attack and toxicological analysis revealed no drugs or alcohol in his system.
“The pathologist did note that Florin was on medication to manage his blood pressure and that his heart was significantly enlarged.
“Without any other firm evidence, his view was that Florin probably suffered a cardiac arrhythmia caused by his enlarged heart which caused him to lose consciousness.
“There was also no evidence that Florin had sustained any significant injuries when the incident occurred.”
She concluded that he had died of natural causes and said: “Despite the circumstances, the road traffic collision did not contribute to his death.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here