Haverhill man died after being struck by a car on a dark, unlit road at night

An inquest has heard how a man from Haverhill died after being struck by a car at night while standing in the middle of an unlit road.

The inquest at Suffolk Coroners' Court in Ipswich today was told that Clifford Anness, 48, suffered traumatic head and neck injuries when he was hit by a red Hyundai Getz while standing on the A1017 Haverhill bypass, about 600 metres from the Sturmer roundabout, at about 10.30pm on Thursday, August 19 last year.

He was admitted to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge shortly after midnight but died died from his injuries on Saturday, August 21.

Assistant coroner, Dr Dan Sharpstone, read a statement from his family that said: "Mr Anness tended to get by.

"He walked from place to place and town to town, never stopping in the same place for long and always going back to his mother, after his father passed away."

Dr Sharpstone also read out a report from Mr Anness' GP, Dr David Brandon, which said he had a long standing history of intravenous heroin use and that he was under the care of the substance abuse charity, Turning Point, but that he had continued taking drugs intravenously, as well as crack cocaine, throughout.

Mr Anness had, added Dr Brandon, survived a stroke in January 2019, caused by his drug use.

Dr Sharpstone told the inquest that a toxicology report showed Mr Anness had methadone, cocaine, morphine and cannabis in his blood when he died.

Pc Dean Webb, a forensic road collision investigator, based at Stowmarket Police Station, told,the hearing that the Hyundai that collided with Mr Anness was driven by Barry Powell as he drove towards the direction of Sturmer and that it had damage to its front and a shattered windscreen. He said the weather was dry and the road conditions were good.

Reading a statement from another police accident investigator, Pc Jeff Crib, Pc Webb said: "It's his opinion that Mr Anness was positioned broadly around the centre of the eastern traffic lane when he was struck.

"He was wearing dark clothing, there was no street lighting present and therefore any driver would be relying on his own headlights to see him."

Pc Webb summed up various witness statements given by other road users that night, who said Mr Powell's driving was "careful and stable for the road conditions" and that he had "maintained a constant speed".

A statement by Mr Powell was read out, in which he said: "I suddenly saw this figure standing partly sideways in the middle of my lane.

"He was approximately 30 yards away. My first thought was they looked like the grim reaper.

"I immediately put on my brakes. I wasn't travelling fast, maybe 50mph. I could not stop quick enough over the short distance.

"There was a big bang and the figure hit my windscreen. It all happened so quickly."

Pc Webb said he believed Mr Powell was driving at a speed closer to 40mph when the accident occurred and confirmed that the collision was 'head on'.

He later added: "There is no evidence to suggest that this was a deliberate act by Mr Anness.

"It appears Mr Powell had acted promptly upon seeing Mr Anness."

Summing up, Dr Sharpstone said: "It is apparent that Mr Anness was stood in the centre of an unlit road during darkness. We don't have any good indication as to why he was stood there."

Concluding the inquest, Dr Sharpstone said: "I think it is simply that he died as a result of a road traffic collision."

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