Much-loved Kent dad died after drifting into lorry's path on A251, inquest hears
A private ambulance driver died from multiple injuries after drifting into the path of a lorry on the A251 Ashford Road near Faversham, an inquest has concluded. Much-loved dad Kevin Goldsmith from Sheerness was heading to William Harvey Hospital with a passenger onboard, who wished not to be named, when he was hit by an oncoming DAF lorry and pronounced dead at the scene, the court heard.
The 54-year-old was driving at around 40mph when the incident happened on February 29, coroner Katrina Hepburn said at an inquest held at Oakwood House in Maidstone on Friday, September 13 while reading a report by forensic collision investigator Robert Yates. The report revealed Kevin, who was driving a Ford transit van, failed to negotiate the left-hand bend, leaving lorry driver Stuart Asshton just a “little more than a second” to respond before the crash.
Stuart, who was delivering goods to a supermarket at the time, was unable to prevent the crash as the report said the collision was “unavoidable”. It said: “Kevin Goldsmith attempted to swerve. He was unable to avoid it.”
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While trying to establish the reasons behind Kevin’s action to cross the central line of the single-carriageway, the coroner raised the questions of fatigue, a medical condition and distraction. The toxicology report showed that Kevin had only consumed a “therapeutic level” of paracetamol. No medical conditions were highlighted.
The passenger who was in the van at the time of the incident said Kevin did not appear tired and was “in a good mood” and they “were having a laugh”. The passenger was watching TikTok videos on his phone before noticing Kevin swerving to the left really quickly just before the collision.
The police report confirmed Kevin did not use his phone while driving with the latest activity on his phone recorded a few hours earlier. It also says all passengers were wearing their seatbelts and the airbags were deployed during the crash.
The report said the action of the driver of the Ford van was the “main issue” of the crash. Emotions were high in the courtroom when coroner Hepburn played a dash cam footage of the incident and a CCTV from a nearby property showing a video of the crash. Family members were told they could leave while the court played the video, but they all decided to stay.
The dash cam revealed the lorry was driving at around 23 mph and slowed before the impact, the court heard. Reading out her findings, the coroner said: “We do not know the reasons for the drift into the oncoming carriageway. He (Kevin) sustained multiple injuries and he died at the scene.”
She added: “I am satisfied there were no contributing issues with the road or any other reason for the vehicle to have moved over.”
She gave the medical cause of death as multiple injuries. In a short form conclusion, coroner Hepburn said the most appropriate conclusion was “road traffic accident”.
His devastated and heartbroken ex-wife Tracey Goldsmith, who was in attendance, previously told KentLive she had lost her "best friend". "Our world is absolutely shattered and I've no idea how to deal with life without my best mate here. We were divorced but he was my rock and support, and my biggest fan. He always had my back, no matter what," Tracey said.
Tracey told us they shared two young children and Kevin became stepfather to her three children, moving in during 2010 and taking them on when Alex was seven, Jess was 12, and Molly was 13.
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