Young dad died after being impaled on badly erected fence after crashing as he overtook on dual carriageway
Driver clipped another car as he changed lanes
A YOUNG dad was killed in a catastrophic crash when his car spun out of control and smashed through wooden fencing, which did not folow Highways England guidelines.
Sam Moorhouse, 27, lost control of his car after clipping another vehicle as he changed lanes on a dual carriageway.
The mechanic’s yellow Mini Cooper plunged off the road smashing into almost 30 metres of fencing.
Mr Moorhouse was impaled on a piece of wood, while his girlfriend Jade Beastall – who was in the passenger seat – suffered extreme head injuries.
An inquest into his death, held at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court, heard that the fencing had not been erected in accordance with best practice guidelines.
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But, the coroner told Mr Moorhouse's family that even if the fence had been designed correctly it may not have prevented his death.
The tragic accident happened on the Dronfield bypass just after 9pm on Saturday January 23.
Ashley Teasel told the inquest he was driving a blue Corsa on the A61 north of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, at the time.
He said: “I was travelling in the slow lane. A car came up behind me, overtook me then cut back into the slow lane too soon. It clipped my vehicle and spun off.”
Mr Teasel stopped his car and called 999, but emergency services were unable to save Mr Moorhouse and he was pronounced dead just before 9.45pm.
Coroner James Newman said: “Mr Moorhouse’s injuries are some of the most extreme I’ve seen reported in a post-mortem examination.”
Turning to his parents, he added: “I don’t believe your son would have suffered.”
The court heard that Mr Moorhouse, of Wirksworth, Derbyshire, was not under the influence of either alcohol or drugs and neither driver was speeding.
PC Nigel Varney, of Derbyshire police’s collision investigation unit, said the wooden fencing he crashed into had not been erected according to "best practice" guidelines.
Highways England "good practice" guidelines recommend using staggered fencing intermingled with shrubs and trees.
Recording a conclusion of death by road traffic collision, Mr Newman said: “Mr Moorhouse was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He made a misjudgement.
"A passing impact caused his Mini to spin out of control and collide with wooden fencing.
“We can’t say, on the balance of probability, that the injuries would not have occurred had the fencing been put up according to these guidelines.
“However, I’ll write to Derbyshire County Council to make sure the authority is aware of best practice guidelines and that they will be adhered to in the future.”
Mr Moorhouse had a three-year-old daughter, Darcy, and had recently split amicably from her mother.
After his death his Sam Moorhouse Snr, 58, and Debbie, 50, paid tribute to their son.
Sam Snr said: “I just can’t believe how loved he was by people."
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