Father killed after French pensioner, 80, fell asleep at wheel
A devoted father-of-two was killed during a motorcycle holiday in France when an 80-year-old woman fell asleep at the wheel of her car, an inquest heard.
David Cook, 41, suffered huge internal bleeding and three heart attacks after being hit head-on by French pensioner Ginette Bock whose car had drifted onto the wrong side of the road in Goult in southern France, Cannock Coroner's Court heard.
Mr Cook had been riding behind his friend Bernie Brinkmann on the D900 north of Marseille when the tragedy occurred just before 5.30pm on June 14 last year.
He was flown by air ambulance to Hôpital Nord in Marseille where he was later pronounced dead, the court heard.
Both men would go on regular riding holidays across the Continent together and were highly experienced riders, the court was told.
Normally Mr Cook, of Wombourne, would ride in front with Mr Brinkmann, of Stourbridge, following.
On the fateful day the pair were heading to a hotel in favour of camping which they traditionally did.
"Mr Brinkmann could see in the distance a car on the wrong side of the road and thought as it got nearer it would cross back on to the correct side," South Staffordshire coroner Andrew Haigh said reading a statement to the court.
"But it didn't and at the last minute Mr Brinkmann swerved to the side of the road toward the crash barrier.
"He saw in his mirror that the car collided with David pretty much head-on."
Mr Brinkmann said: "We have been travelling for five years at least and David always travelled in front and for some reason he just said you go in the front and I'll go at the back,"
"As far as I was concerned even though we were both on holiday it was his main holiday.
"There was a campsite just down the road. He said 'I have had enough of camping let's drive north for a couple of hours.
"We were in the wrong place at the wrong time."
The court heard Bock has been convicted of involuntary homicide by a motor vehicle in the French courts.
Mr Cook was born in Halesowen and was a keen rugby player. He is survived by wife Joy, son Adam and daughter Chloe.
He was known as 'Cookie' and worked at Evans and White Ltd in Dawley Brook Road, Kingswinford.
Mr Haigh said the cause of death was multiple injuries and recorded a conclusion of death by road traffic conclusion.
