A BONCATH man whose van “drifted” into the path of an oncoming dumper truck suffered some sort of medical emergency, an inquest has been told.

Pembrokeshire coroner Mark Layton heard that the fact Benjamin Tarling’s seatbelt was extended suggested he had been leaning forward at the time of the fatal collision on a single-track ‘B’ road between Boncath and Eglwyswrw on the morning of 9 February.

The inquest at Milford Haven had earlier been told how a fellow motorist travelling behind Mr Tarling’s white Citroën Berlingo van had watched in horror as it veered across the carriageway on a slight left-hand bend moments before the head-on collision.

Mr Tarling, 58, was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene. The lorry driver, John David Roberts, escaped unhurt. In recent years, Mr Tarling had been dogged by ill-health and at the time of his death was receiving regular kidney dialysis treatment which, said coroner’s officer Jeremy Davies, occasionally left him “very tired”.

The fatal collision had happened at about 11.40am on the B4332 from Boncath towards Eglwyswrw. Although passers-by fought to revive him through CPR, Mr Tarling was pronounced dead at 12.16pm.

A post-mortem revealed he had died from severe chest traumatic injuries.

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