Mum killed 2 days before Christmas 'always looked forward to the holidays' ; Inquest rules ambulance crash death was an accident

[EMT City Administrator]

By Matt Lloyd

A DEVASTATED husband revealed how he returned home with Champagne on the day he retired to discover his wife had died in a road smash with an ambulance.

Terry Williams told an inquest how mum-of-two Wendy had been looking forward to Christmas with her family before her tragic death.

The 60-year-old, from Castle Bromwich, died when she pulled out in front of an ambulance car on the Tamworth Road, Lichfield. Paramedic Kevin Webster, who hit speeds of over 70mph as he responded to a 999 call, was later found not guilty of causing death by careless driving by a jury.

At an inquest yesterday, South Staffs coroner Andrew Haigh said the pensioner had died as a result of a tragic accident on December 23, 2009.

Giving evidence Mr Williams, 63, a former consultant engineer, said: "I retired on the same day after 40 years working.

"I came home with Champagne and retirement gifts, 30 minutes later there were two policemen on the doorstep telling me she'd been killed.

"She was a very active lady, she always looked forward to Christmas and loved having the family around for Christmas.

"I'm sure she was looking forward to the holiday break."

Witnesses told the hearing they saw Mr Webster's Vauxhall Vectra ambulance car travelling at speed on blue lights and sirens.

But Mrs Williams's Ford Ka pulled out just yards in front of him at the junction of Quarry Hill Lane.

Giving evidence, the paramedic - who was cleared at trial in 2011 - said he had no chance to stop and didn't expect Mrs Williams to pull out of the junction.

He said: "Initially when I saw the car it was in the junction. As I travelled along the road the car appeared to pull out, stop, then it made a second movement.

"That was the last movement, it pulled out from the junction.

"I applied the brakes quite sharpish but unfortunately still impacted the car."

Since her death, Mrs Williams' family have called on West Midlands Ambulance Service to impose speed limits on drivers and bring training in line with that of police emergency drivers.

The inquest heard a new ambulance policy now advised drivers not to exceed the speed limit by more than 50 per cent - but that was a guide and not a rule.

Tragic accident: Wendy Williams died after the crash on December 23, 2009.

Originally published by By Matt Lloyd STAFF REPORTER.

© 2013 Evening Mail; Birmingham (UK). Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.

A service of YellowBrix, Inc.

View the full article

Click here to view the article