A council has been severely criticised by a coroner over the death of a cyclist who suffered fatal head injuries after hitting a pothole that had been visible on Google Street View for 14 years.
The Lancashire area coroner, Kate Bisset, concluded that Harry Colledge, 84, would probably not have died last January if Lancashire county council had acted on warnings to fix the 87-metre-long crack on Island Lane near the village of Winmarleigh.
An inquest into his death, which concluded on Friday, heard that a council inspection missed the “trench” in the middle of the road because inspectors were “primarily focused” on making the road safe for motorists.
The council had claimed the crack must have closed up before inspection. In a narrative verdict Bisset said the council’s explanation was “logic defying”.
She said Colledge’s family was “well within their rights to feel outraged at the continual refusal of Lancashire county council to accept the glaringly obvious with regards to the ongoing presence of the crack”.
The coroner added: “The council’s position, maintained to the bitter end, was met by audible laughter in this court. The unrealistic, unsustainable, and incomprehensible position adopted by the council with regards to the presence of the defect on Island Lane leaves me with little confidence that meaningful changes have taken place.”
The inquest was shown photographs of the crack that was wide enough to conceal a man’s hands. The coroner said: “It seems to me be breathtakingly obvious that the defect shown in the photograph is the same defect involved.”
If the crack had been repaired she said: “It is more likely than not that the collision would not have occurred and thus more likely than not that he would not have died at that time.”
Bisset said she would issue a prevention of future deaths report over the incident in the coming weeks.
Colledge, a member of the Cleveleys Road Club, was described as fit and active at the time of his death, the inquest heard.
He was cycling with his friend Nigel Mycock at the time of the crash. Mycock told the inquest that he was cycling ahead when he heard a “sickening crunch” behind him. Colledge was treated at the scene but did not regain consciousness and died later at Royal Preston hospital.
The council pledged to reflect on the coroner’s criticism. In a statement its chief executive, Angie Ridgwell, said: “Our thoughts and condolences are with Mr Colledge’s family, and we can assure them that we will be considering the findings of this inquest thoroughly and carefully.”
