Truck's wheel caused death ,f1
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by Cahal Milmo • A Sheffield haulage firm has been threatened with a civil court action after a wheel loss accident killed a passing motorist.
The accident, last October on the A14 near Bury St Edmunds, happened when a wheel came off a truck operated by RA Memmory (CRRT) Haulage.
An inquest heard last week that the wheel killed Rodger Mathers, 54, at the wheel of his Fiat Punto.
Investigators later found a number of faults on the lorry and estimated that its driver Michael Ilaig was travelling at least lOmph over the speed limit. A speed limiter was found disconnected.
Haig, from Rotherham, declined to give evidence to the Bury inquest but in a statement said that the wheel came off with a "whoosh".
He did not see the fatal accident. He added that he had given the tyres a look before he left Felixstowe earlier that day and found nothing wrong.
PC Alan Chaplin told the inquest that speed had not caused the wheel to fly off but said the lorry was in a dangerous condition and legal proceedings were being taken.
Louise Boucher, solicitor for the Mathers family, said: "This is a very distressing situation for them. We will be looking at civil proceedings against the company."
Mary Williams, director of lorry safety group Brake, said: "This case is clearly not a freak occurrence.
Wheels are falling off lorries, killing people and no-one is being held responsible."
Deputy West Suffolk coroner Kevin McCarthy adjourned the hearing to a later date after a key witness failed to attend.