A serious road traffic accident involving a lorry close to Haven Bridge in Great Yarmouth. Emergency services on scene. Picture: James Bass

An inquest hearing has heard that a Great Yarmouth man killed in a traffic collision earlier this year had been drinking before he stepped into the path of a lorry on Haven Bridge Road.

The inquest into the death of 58-year-old Terry Stevens, of Southtown Road, was concluded at the Norfolk Coroner’s Court in Norwich yesterday afternoon.

Several witnesses were called to speak at the hearing, including the driver of the lorry involved, other eye-witnesses and police officers who were called to the scene - which caused gridlock on the roads around Haven Bridge on Tuesday, February 14.

PC Robert Warrent told the court how he had ran to the scene after the patrol car he was travelling in was caught in the congestion.

The driver of the Volvo articulated large goods vehicle, David Thurgood, told how he had pulled up to the traffic lights when they were on red and was sitting stationery behind four cars.

He said: “When the lights turned green I did all my mirror checks and everything and then pulled off when I heard a bang.

“I looked in my mirror down the driver’s side and could see part of my load had come off the trailer. I got out of the cab and couldn’t see much but then walked down the other side and saw him.”

The collision happened at around 12.50pm and resulted in Mr Stevens, who was originally from London, being pronounced dead at the scene.

Bus driver Daniel Hooker had dropped off Mr Stevens at the bus stop at the scene, which is commonly used for the nearby Matalan store.

He told how he had seen Mr Stevens wait to cross, saying: “He just decided to go at the wrong time.”

Similarly, Samantha Grimsley, had been in a nearby car and seen the collision unfold ‘out of the corner of her eye’. Giving a tearful account, Mrs Grimsley, who called the emergency services, said: “I thought the lorry was too big and he was not going to be able to see him and I just knew that he was going to get run over.”

PC Graeme Brooks then confirmed his official collision report, revealing that a toxicology report had shown Mr Stevens had been drinking and had consumed the equivalent of two times the legal driving limit.

Assistant deputy Norfolk coroner Yvonne Blake confirmed that Mr Thurgood, the lorry driver, had not been at fault in the collision and concluded that Mr Stevens had died as a result of the injuries he sustained in the collision.

She also said she had watched CCTV of the incident and concluded: “You can very clearly see Mr Stevens step off the pavement in front of the lorry and Mr Thurgood had no time to react.”

david.freezer@archant.co.uk