Seatbelt could have saved life of Alresford man, inquest hears (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Seatbelt could have saved life of Alresford man, inquest hears

1:10pm Friday 23rd December 2011 in Alresford

A 20-YEAR-OLD driver who died in a crash might have saved his life had he been wearing a seatbelt, a coroner said.

An inquest heard how carpet fitter Christopher Bridges was thrown from his silver Ford KA which went out of control after he hit a crash barrier, while under the influence of alcohol, on the A31 at Four Marks.

He died of severe head injuries, the inquest heard.

Paying tribute mother Sarah Bridges said: “Chris is going to be missed by everyone in and around Alresford.

“He was a larger than life character, the fact that so many hundreds turned up to the funeral it just showed how much people thought of him.

“Chris was a lovely person, he was very caring and he was a very thoughtful, loyal person.”

She added that she had often reminded him to wear his seatbelt.

The hearing, at Alton Magistrates’ Court, was told how Mr Bridges, of Watercress Meadow, Alresford, had been drinking and decided to drive to return his girlfriend’s mobile phone – he was on his way back going west from Four Marks to Alresford when the accident happened on September 16 this year around 11.30pm.

Girlfriend Claire Bourne, who was in tears as her statement was read out, stated that they had met that evening for a get together at a friend’s house in Alresford where Mr Bridges had drunk a bottle of vodka and three or four beers.

She left at 10.50pm, then went back for her phone, but was told that Mr Bridges had already left to take it to her and had dropped it through her letterbox, the inquest heard.

Knowing how drunk Mr Bridges was, Ms Bourne went looking for him expecting to find he had crashed, came across the accident and guessed it was him, her statement said.

Mr Bridges, who had worked at Eddolls Carpets in Alresford since leaving school, was taken to Southampton General Hospital but was pronounced dead at 6.30am the next day (September 17).

The inquest heard his blood had 115 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres, against a legal limit of 80, but the coroner said this would be a minimum amount due to the fluids Mr Bridges was given during treatment.

Collision investigator PC Edward Wilson said evidence indicated that Mr Bridges had not been wearing a seatbelt.

He said Mr Bridges was driving less than the speed limit, but as he took a right hand bend connected with the near side barrier.

This caused the vehicle to go out of control and rotate throwing him from the car.

North East Hampshire coroner Andrew Bradley, said that alcohol “clearly plays a part” in it by impairing judgement.

He recorded a verdict of accidental death, but described it as an “avoidable death”.

“They [seatbelts] save lives and in this instance sadly Christopher’s could have been,” he added.