Reason for lorry crash which killed driver in North Yorkshire ‘will never be known’

Joao Silva, 52, crashed while driving along the A19, on the outskirts of Northallerton, at 10.30am on February 1 this year.

Witnesses said the white Iveco lorry drifted into the middle lane then veered off the left, collided with some trees and jackknifed.

Emergency services were called to the scene and they amputated the Mr Silva’s leg to free him from the crumpled cab so he could receive treatment, but he was pronounced dead at 11.27am.

An inquest examining the Portuguese driver’s death was told there was no evidence to suggest he had fallen ill, been distracted or fallen asleep before the crash.

Coroner Jonathan Heath said: “The reason why the vehicle left the road will never be known.”

A post-mortem examination found Mr Silva had suffered several severe injuries in the crash and a blow to the head caused a fatal brain haemorrhage.

No alcohol was found in his system and while he had been taking prescribed medications, including the antidepressant Sertraline, pathologists found it was unlikely the doses would have impaired his driving.

Traffic Constable Matthew Tanfield, a collision investigator for North Yorkshire Police, said information recovered from the lorry’s tachograph showed Mr Silva was travelling at 56mph when he left the road and he did not apply the brakes before the collision.

The officer said there were no defects with the lorry or the road that could have caused the crash.

He also said Mr Silva, who worked for David Neto Group, had taken a break lasting more than 15 hours the night before the crash, so it is unlikely that he was fatigued.

“Whilst driver fatigue or distraction is a hypothesis in this incident there is no physical evidence to support this. There is no evidence supporting a medical episode,” said Traffic Constable Tanfield.

He said officers were unable to examine the driver’s phone and find out whether it was being used before the crash, as it had been destroyed in the impact.

The coroner recorded a verdict of death by road traffic collision, during the inquest at Northallerton Coroner’s Court.