A34 death linked to undiagnosed diabetes

Nicholas Kneale’s Ford Focus hit the back of an articulated lorry at high speed on the northbound A34 near Kidlington on December 5 last year.

The married 44-year-old was travelling to visit his elderly mother in Liverpool when the crash happened early in the morning.

His car hit a forklift truck attached to the lorry, which was legally parked in a layby while the driver slept, and burst into flames.

An inquest at Oxfordshire Coroner’s Court yesterday heard Mr Kneale, of Woodstock Road, North Oxford, had type-two diabetes but did know it. Pathologist Dr Ian Roberts said Mr Kneale’s glucose level was high but could not say for certain how that would have manifested itself or if it played a part in the crash.

He said: “It may have been asymptomatic, but it could have cause some impairment to driving. Certainly the glucose level could have affected his concentration or vision.”

Mr Kneale was a warden and lecturer at St Clare’s International College in Oxford.

Mr Kneale’s wife, Concetta, said he occasionally suffered headaches and tiredness but nothing out of the ordinary.

Crash investigator Terry Anderson said it was not possible to calculate the speed of the Ford as it hit the lorry, but added: “Given the extent of the damage and my previous experience, I would expect (it was travelling) in excess of about 50mph, maybe as high as 60mph or 70mph.”

Dr Roberts said Mr Kneale would have died instantly.

Coroner Nicholas Gardiner recorded an open verdict and said: “It is of course possible he suffered some form of diabetic attack but diabetes is not something that comes on suddenly and I suggest it seems a little unlikely.”

Mrs Kneale’s solicitor, John de Bono asked the coroner to consider passing a narrative verdict to rid the case of any air of suicide. Mr Gardiner said he would keep the open verdict but added: “For reasons unknown, while suffering from hyperglycaemia, he drove into the rear of a lorry stationary on the A34.”