Cancer patient killed fulfilling his dream

A terminally-ill musician was fulfilling a lifelong dream of driving a Westfield Sports Car when he lost control of the vehicle causing a horrific crash which killed both him and his partner.

Andrew Tinker, who had been given six months to live, was test driving the high-performance, hand-built motor on the A449 Kidderminster Road at Stourton, near Stourbridge, an inquest heard. Coroner Andrew Haigh yesterday recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Witnesses saw the car swerve across the dual carriageway near the Bridgnorth Road junction and slam into an oncoming Toyota Yaris, travelling towards Wolverhampton.

Mr Tinker, aged 39, and his partner Jane Croft, aged 44, both suffered fatal multiple injuries in the smash at 3pm on July 22 last year.

The driver of the other car, Josephine Morris, of Pavilion End, Stourton, was left with serious injuries.

Coroner Andrew Haigh said it remained unclear what exactly had caused the car to spin out of control.

Pc Richard Biffin, of Staffordshire Police's Collision Investigation Unit, said Mr Tinker, who had been diagnosed with cancer, could have slipped into the wrong gear, hit a wet patch, or simply accelerated too hard as he hit a slight incline.

Mrs Morris said: "I saw something white coming at me out the corner of my eye and I remember saying to myself 'Oh my God' before there was a huge bang and I was thrown into the front passenger seat."

Andrea Lavender, of Netherton in Dudley, was in the car behind.

She added: "All of a sudden the car seemed to turn across the lane, almost at right angels, and came over the central reservation. He didn't appear to slow down or swerve or anything. He just went straight across."

Mr Tinker and Miss Croft, both of Bristol, had been spending their weekends fulfilling Mr Tinker's wishes at the time of the smash.

Westfield Sports Cars, the Kingswinford firm which organised the test drive, was found to have made all the relevant checks before allowing Mr Tinker to take the car.

Mr Haigh said: "I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities both of these deaths resulted from a genuine and tragic accident."