Exning man killed while trying to cross A14 at Newmarket in Christmas Day tragedy, inquest hears

An inquest has heard how a man was tragically killed on Christmas Day while trying to cross the A14 in Newmarket.

Leroy Lynch, 30, of Oxford Street, Exning, was hit by two cars while in the company of his partner.

An inquest at Suffolk Coroner’s Court in Ipswich today was told that the driver of the second car went home after running over Mr Lynch, mistakenly believing he had hit a horse.

Coroner Darren Stewart ruled that the tragedy was unavoidable, and that none of the motorists involved could have reacted in time, given the circumstances.

Mr Lynch was a stable worker, born in Ireland.

At the time of his death, he was living with his fiancé, Nicole Comiskey, and young daughter.

On Christmas Day, he and his partner finished up work at the stables, before going to celebrate with friends in Newmarket.

Mr Stewart said that, during the festivities, Mr Lynch consumed alcohol and cocaine.

By the time he left for home that evening, he was three times over the legal drink drive limit.

Around 8.35pm, Mr Lynch and his partner attempted to cross the westbound junction of the A14.

He reached the central reservation – but a passing motorist swerved to avoid him, and ended up crashing.

Mr Lynch then crossed the eastbound reservation, near the A142 junction, where he was struck by another vehicle.

Citing a post-mortem report, Mr Stewart said that this collision left Mr Lynch with catastrophic spinal injuries, which would have proven “rapidly fatal.”

The force of the first strike propelled Mr Lynch’s body into the westbound carriageway, where it was run over by another car.

Mr Stewart noted that heavy rainfall on the night in question impaired drivers’ vision.

As a result, the second motorist to hit Mr Lynch did not recognise what had occurred, instead believing he had hit a horse.

He drove home, and only subsequently learned the truth about what had happened.

Giving evidence at the inquest today was PC Dean Webb, who attended the scene shortly after the collision.

Addressing the reaction of the second motorist, PC Webb said: “It wasn't obviously a person lying in the road. I don't know how he [the driver] decided it was a horse – he was obviously filling in a gap.”

Ms Comiskey dragged her partner’s body out of the road, and called 999.

Paramedics attended the scene, and pronounced Mr Lynch dead at 8.55pm.

Rounding off the inquest, Mr Stewart expressed his condolences to Mr Lynch’s family, who were not present in court.

The coroner said: “I can't think of more tragic circumstances than, on Christmas Day, to be walking home, to make a miscalculation of the sort that Mr Lynch did, that led to his death.”