THE DEATH of a lorry driver who crashed on the A34 while police tried to clear a dead badger from the road was a tragic accident, a coroner ruled.

Jose Castro-Gonzalez, from Bedford, died at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital after a crash on February 21 last year.

The inquest at Oxford Coroner's Court heard two lorries collided on the southbound carriageway while officers removed the animal from the road near Marcham.

Pc Lisa Brennan told the inquest she was patrolling Sutton Courtenay with colleague Pc Richard Farnell at about 3am when they were sent to clear a dead badger from the road.

She said: "The badger was certainly big enough that if it had been hit, it would have caused damage to the police car."

The officers drove to where the badger had been seen and pulled their car up across the carriageway in front of the animal, the coroner heard.

Lorry driver Kenneth Kirtland said he was slowing down to stop behind another vehicle when Mr Castro-Gonzalez's lorry crashed into him from behind.

Mr Kirtland said he had put on his hazard lights after seeing the police car stop across both lanes in front of him, but heard a bang from behind before losing control of his van.

He added: "I tried to steer but nothing appeared to be happening. My side mirrors folded in on impact."

South Central Ambulance Service paramedic Jason Butler said in a statement that Mr Castro-Gonzalez's lorry was across both lanes when he arrived on scene and Mr Castro-Gonzalez appeared to be trapped in the lorry.

He said Mr Castro-Gonzalez, 61, who was born in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, was later freed from the lorry by firefighters.

Consultant pathologist Lucie Winter said in a post mortem report that Mr Castro-Gonzalez died of multiple injuries.

Coroner Darren Salter said: "Clearly this is a tragic incident to have occurred. The only conclusion for me to consider is one of accident and accidental death.

"Very sadly Mr Castro-Gonzalez failed to appreciate what was going on up ahead."

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