An expert witness at the inquest into the death of Catherine Moore stated that the army Land Rover involved in the fatal A11 crash would have been classified as ‘dangerous’ under MOT standards. Roger Hughes, from Jaguar Land Rover, explained how a bent nearside trailing link could have caused the driver to lose control.
The inquest heard that Ms Moore, 73, was driving a Porsche when the Land Rover crossed the central reservation and collided with her vehicle. The Land Rover’s driver, former Lance Corporal Jack Coker, reported a sudden inability to steer.
Mr Hughes found the Land Rover’s nearside trailing link significantly bent, causing the vehicle to naturally steer left. The steering wheel was also 110 degrees off-centre. While another expert suggested the link was bent pre-accident, Mr Hughes disagreed. He believed the steering misalignment would have been noticed and potentially masked by realigning the steering wheel, creating a false sense of alignment and a predisposition to turn left. This would have made right turns more difficult. Mr Hughes deemed the Land Rover ‘dangerous’ and a ‘potential hazard’ under MOT criteria.
The court heard the Land Rover passed an army MEI (equivalent to MOT) four months prior. Mr Hughes noted the bent link might be missed if mechanics focused on brakes, but its severity made it hard to believe a trained mechanic would overlook it. Assistant coroner Daniel Sharpstone will deliver his conclusion soon.
Source: East Anglian Daily Times