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24
Mar
Inquest reveals findings into death of man, 90, killed in A61 crash near Killinghall
A 90-year-old man who was struck by a car on the A61 between Harrogate and Killinghall died from numerous serious injuries, an inquest has heard.
A full inquest into the death of Lucjan Stefan Wilk was held at Northallerton Coroners Court today (March 24).
Mr Wilk died on November 7, 2023, after a Ford Fiesta collided with him on the road the previous day.
A named police officer, who gave evidence in court, said Mr Wilk had been to visit his wife in a care home in Harrogate on the day of the incident.
He got on a bus to return home to the home where he lived with his daughter and her husband, shortly after 5.30pm on November 6.
He got off at the northbound stop on the A61, near the junction with Knox Mill Lane.
The officer told the court Mr Wilk was wearing dark clothing at the time and he was seen on the bus's CCTV waiting on the pavement until it departed.
The named driver of the Ford Fiesta (driver A) was travelling northbound on the A61 from Harrogate to Killinghall.
The police officer said driver A was going between 28 and 30mph – the speed limit is 40mph.
Mr Wilk was looking to cross the road towards Knox Mill Lane and was holding a torch, the officer said, adding he then stepped into the northbound carriageway.
A witness, who was driving southbound towards Harrogate, spotted a light in the middle of the road. The court heard it was dark outside as the clocks had recently gone back, but the torch light “did not appear to be moving”.
Driver A had collided with Mr Wilk, who had hit the windscreen of the car.
The coroner later found driver A’s headlights were not set at the “optimum” setting.
The officer was asked if he felt the 40mph speed limit on the stretch of road is suitable. He told the court:
I think it would be beneficial to maintain that road as a 30mph all the way along. I don’t believe the bus stop is best placed where it is currently.
Council changes
Mr Wilk's daughter, Paulina Burton, previously told the Stray Ferret the stretch of road where her father died is “just horrendous” and raised concerns over the lack of lighting on the road.
A North Yorkshire Council officer told the inquest recommendations were made to relocate the northbound bus stop where Mr Wilk had alighted shortly before his death.
The council officer said the existing bus stop was still in place but work to relocate it will hopefully start in “the next couple of weeks or so”.
Work appeared to have started today near the junction with Knox Mill Lane, but it has not been confirmed if this is in relation to the bus stop relocation.
Work on the A61 between Killinghall and Harrogate (March 24).
The council also proposes to remove the southbound bus stop towards Harrogate entirely.
The officer said a “warning” sign on the road has also been replaced by a larger sign.
The council has also installed a number of streetlights along the A61 (pictured below) but it is unclear when these were implemented.
Streetlights on the A61.
‘We are devastated’
The coroner read a statement by Mr Wilk’s daughter to the court. It said:
My father came to the UK from Poland in 1978.
He looked after my mother when she was in poor health but he was very fit for his age. He liked to walk everywhere. When he went to the doctors, his check-ups were always good.
He waved at people when he walked past them and everyone loved him. He was very independent. I remember going to Valley Gardens once and a live band was playing – my father just danced along to the music.
Ms Burton said her father visited her mother in a care home daily and always travelled there-and-back by bus.
Mr Wilk was used to getting off at the bus stop near to where he was killed, she said, adding her and her husband had bought him a torch due to how dark the area was at the time.
On the day of the collision, Ms Burton was concerned after not hearing from her father after a while.
She said she heard a helicopter landing and asked her husband to go and see what was happening once he had returned from work.
“It was for my dad”, the statement added.
The court heard:
We are devastated by my father’s death.
I feel very strongly that the speed limit needs to be reduced, and the bus stop is not in an appropriate place.
Conclusion
The coroner gave a short-form conclusion.
She said Mr Wilk sustained a number of both internal and external injuries, and found he died as a result of injuries to his head, chest and arms.
He died at Leeds General Infirmary at 11pm on November 7.
She concluded driver A had been driving for around 45 minutes before colliding with Mr Wilk and was familiar with the stretch of road.
The court heard the headlights were not at “optimum setting” but the coroner said she was not able to conclude if the outcome would have been different had the headlights been at the optimum setting.
The Stray Ferret spoke to Paulina Burton after the inquest.
Ms Burton said she feels it has "taken my dad's death for any changes to be made" to the road and bus stop.
The Stray Ferret has also published a piece covering Ms Burton's calls for change to road safety measures in light of her father's death. You can read that here.
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