8:13 am, January 21, 2023
A car salesman died of multiple injuries after the vehicle he was driving collided with a tractor, an inquest has heard.
Shaun Milburn was driving to the Lake District for a boating trip in July 2021 when his Ford S-Max smashed into the farm vehicle.
The father-of-eight was killed in the incident along with his passenger and friend, Michelle Pattinson.
An inquest into their deaths was heard at Cockermouth Coroner’s Court this week by coroner Kirsty Gomersal.
The hearing heard from experts that Milburn, from Carlisle, may have had a medical incident in the moments before the crash.
He was not braking at the time of the impact and investigators found only found ‘limited’ evidence of fatigue or distraction, the News & Star reports.
A later examination of both the car and the tractor found no mechanical faults and it was accepted that tractor driver could not have done anything to avoid the collision.
Along with Milburn and Pattinson, other passengers in the car sustained injuries in the crash.
A medical examination found cocaine in the 34-year-old driver’s system, although this was ruled not to have contributed to his death.
Giving evidence to the inquest, Milburn’s widow Shareen described him as her ‘rock’ and said the ‘lively energy’ from their home had gone.
Tragically, the couple had been planning to renew their vows in the run up to his death.
After hearing all the evidence, Ms Gomersal recorded Milburn’s cause of death as ‘multiple injuries inconsistent with life due to trauma and severe heart disease’.
The incident took place on July 3, 2021.
Car Dealer Live – the future of the car dealer – exclusive conference features talks from leading car dealers, Google and Auto Trader among much more. Find out the full event details and book tickets.
