Inquiry hears of substandard welding at crash scene
The welding on parts of a crash barrier at the scene of a fatal accident on the north Sutherland coast, was substandard, a fatal accident heard this week.
The flaws would have caused the barrier to snap rather than buckle and absorb the impact of a crash, it was claimed.
Skerray man David Bowes (46), who ran a plumbing and heating business, was killed in February last year after his Toyota truck left the causeway across the Kyle of Tongue in snowy conditions, plunged through the barrier and into the sea.
A Fatal Accident Inquiry into his death opened at Dornoch Sheriff Court on Monday.
Metallurgical expert Timothy Norman (56), a principal materials consultant based at the St. Albans laboratory of the Environmental Scientifics Group, was among Crown witnesses.
He had been asked by police to examine three stanchions and base plates taken from the crash barrier following the incident on 2 February 2010.
Around 16 metres of the barrier, which was installed in the early 1970s, collapsed as a result of the accident.
Mr Norman found little evidence of damage to the posts themselves, although they were corroded.
But he told the inquiry: "The welding of the base plates was of poor quality and did not cover the entire base.
"If they were being judged against standards of workmanship, even at the time they were manufactured, it would be difficult to say they were good enough.
"If the welded joint had been of a quality that would have passed a modern welding standard test, then there is a better chance that the post would have bent rather than broken at the fracture point. There would have been a higher chance the parapet would have remained in situ."
But he added: "You cannot have a parapet that will withstand all circumstances of impact. There are other factors such as the speed, weight and angle of the vehicle."
Under questioning from Kirk Tudhope, representing Highland Council, Mr Norman agreed it would have been difficult for anyone other than an expert to visually spot the poor welding.
Earlier, Mr Bowes’ partner Anne Scott, 83 Glaickbea, Skerray, sobbed in court as she recalled the last moment she had seen him.
Ms Scott, a retired head teacher, said Mr Bowes had left their home at about 9.45am heading for an appointment with a client in Durness.
She said he was a careful driver who never exceeded the speed limit and who was very familiar with the road network, having worked in the area for over 20 years.
Asked if he was in good health, she replied: "I do not think he ever visited a doctor. He was in perfect health."
Ambulance paramedic Ian MacLeod (51), who was amongst the first at the scene, told the inquiry: "I saw an upturned pick-up about 15ft to 20ft away from the rocks that made up the base of the causeway.
"Only the four wheels and the underside of the bumper could be seen. There was a gap where the vehicle had gone through before landing on the water. That was on the north side."
Mr MacLeod said he had seen marks in the snowy slush covering the causeway.
"When I looked along the straight part of the causeway, you could see where a vehicle had changed from one carriageway and gone across the other carriageway through the barrier.
"It was a sudden change of direction but not a violent one. There was no sign of slipping of the tyres in the slush, it was just a turning motion."
Highland Council area foreman for North Sutherland, Alexander Morrison of Durness, described in evidence how he waded out in freezing water and clambered on to the floating truck to attach a rope onto the tow bar.
The 59-year-old, who has been a coastguard for 32 years, said the truck was eventually pulled in and righted in a complicated operation involving two heavy council owned plant.
Mr Bowes was found floating face-down in the vehicle. Attempts to resuscitate him at the scene were unsuccessful.
He was taken by coastguard helicopter to Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, but was pronounced dead on arrival.
A post-mortem carried out on 4 February by the hospital’s consultant pathologist Mark Ashton revealed the cause of death to be drowning.
Procurator fiscal Alasdair MacDonald told the inquiry: "The post-mortem exam has shown that Mr Bowes died from drowning.
"There was evidence of a blow to the head that may have incapacitated him but by itself was not life threatening. There were no other serious injuries."
The inquiry was adjourned until August for written submissions.
