Man died in car hit by brother

Nov 15 2007 by Neil Mckay, The Journal

A YOUNG man was killed after his car was hit by another driven by his brother.

Tony Buckle, 20, of Stirling Drive, Bedlington, Northumberland, died in a crash in April when his Vauxhall Cavalier veered out of control and hit a tree.

An MG car driven by his brother Robert, 23, was following Mr Buckle along the C126 road at Longhirst, near Morpeth.

Although Robert Buckle’s passenger, Carl Burke, told police in a statement that the two cars had not collided, an inquest into Mr Buckle’s death was told by accident investigators that evidence “very strongly supported the view that the two cars had forcibly collided”.

The inquest held in Morpeth yesterday was told by accident investigator PC Karl Newman that forensic tests showed traces of paint from Robert Buckle’s car on his brother’s crashed vehicle.

Robert Buckle, 23, who did not give evidence yesterday, was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving after the crash, but PC Jami Blythe, an accident investigator, told the hearing no charges had been brought against him.

PC Newman said the evidence pointed to both drivers losing control of their vehicles on surface water while travelling at between 50 and 60 miles per hour, and Robert’s colliding with the Cavalier.

Although there had been suggestions after the crash that the two brothers had been racing each other, no mention was made of that at the inquest.

PC Newman said that when Robert Buckle’s car collided with his brother’s it “set off a chain of events which resulted in tragedy when the car hit a tree”.

Tony Buckle was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering multiple injuries.

The inquest heard he had bought the car that day from a work colleague of his father, Robert senior, in Amble.

He had driven back to the Butterwell opencast site where his father worked, to give him a lift home. His brother and Mr Burke were following.

Mr Buckle, 50, suffered a broken neck in the crash.

North Northumberland coroner Ian McCreath extended his “deepest sympathy” to the Buckle family, including Robert, saying: “Robert has to put this behind him somehow.”

Verdict: Accident.