Teacher's stray horse crash death

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/wales/mid/6978712.stm

Version 0 of 1.

A car passenger on her way home from a Spanish holiday was killed in a crash with stray horses on a dual carriageway, an inquest has heard.

Deputy head teacher Valerie Meyer, 55, from Llanidloes, Powys, and her husband Anthony hit two horses on the A483 in Wrexham in November 2006.

The Flint inquest heard that two men had been fined for allowing animals to stray onto the highway.

Coroner John Hughes recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Mrs Meyer, a deputy head teacher at Cruckton Hall school in Shrewsbury, and her husband were driving home from Liverpool airport in the early hours of the morning on 4 November.

It followed a week's holiday in Spain, the court heard.

But tragedy struck when three horses strayed onto the southbound carriageway.

One of the horses died in the collision and another was put down at the scene. A third strayed onto the adjacent carriageway and was later caught by police.

A post-mortem examination concluded Mrs Meyer died instantly from head injuries.

He was confronted by a hazard that was not of his own making. He is certainly blameless Coroner John Hughes

Her husband suffered head and spinal injuries and remained in hospital for five weeks.

The inquest heard how a man, named in court as John Berry, had been warned three weeks prior to the incident that horses had strayed onto the carriageway.

Mr Berry attended the scene of the fatal collision and told police he owned the dead horse, the inquest was told.

However, the court heard he later denied ownership.

The Crown Prosecution Service decided not to bring manslaughter charges.

A police investigation later discovered part of the fence had been brought down, although it was not known how.

A collision investigation team later judged the Meyers' Seat Ibiza to be in "pristine" condition prior to the incident.

John Hughes, coroner for north east Wales, said it was not his duty to apportion blame.

However, he said Mr Meyer was entirely "faultless".

Last November I lost a wife that I adored, my best friend. My sons lost their mother and the children of Cruckton Hall School lost a dedicated and extremely talented teacher Anthony Meyer

He added: "He was confronted by a hazard that was not of his own making."

"He is certainly blameless."

He said the Meyers had been together since 1977 and still had a future ahead of them.

But he added: "They were brought up against straying animals that destroyed, effectively, that future".

Outside court Mr Meyer said: "Last November I lost a wife that I adored, my best friend.

"My sons lost their mother and the children of Cruckton Hall School lost a dedicated and extremely talented teacher.

"It's not for me to say where the fault lies, that's for others to decide".

The court heard how two men were charged with allowing animals to stray onto a highway and were dealt with in May.

John Berry was fined £650 plus costs and another, named in court as Thomas Berry, was fined £350 with costs.