Paramedic in fatal crash had traumatic flashback

Friends Jason Allen (L) and Andrew Ralph were killed on their way to a vintage car rally

A paramedic was hallucinating after a traumatic call-out when he crashed into a car, an inquest heard.

Vintage car enthusiasts Jason Allen, 49, and Andrew Ralph, 61, were killed after their car was hit by Kevin Lilwall's ambulance on the A49 in Pengethley, Herefordshire.

They had been on their way to a car rally in Shrewsbury on 25 August 2019 before the crash at about 06:00 BST.

An inquest heard Mr Lilwall was having flashbacks to the previous day when he had been in the area responding to the sudden death of a baby.

The paramedic, who had worked for West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) for 28 years, was driving the ambulance when it crossed the white line into the 1931 Ford.

The ambulance dashcam showed it heading directly towards Mr Allen’s car for six seconds before the collision.

The families of Mr Allen and Mr Ralph said they had been through hell in the past four years, adding they had never had an apology from Mr Lilwall and only one from WMAS after the inquest.

The hearing in Hereford was told Mr Lilwall had spent more than 25 hours on duty in the previous 36 hours, with just a 10-hour break between shifts.

Mr Allen and Mr Ralph were travelling in a 1931 Ford when they were hit

As he drove the ambulance on 15 August, they approached the village where the baby had died.

"I had a weird, weird feeling," Mr Lillwall told the inquest. "I went really cold, like a shiver, like somebody has walked over your grave, like a fear."

He said he then saw the baby's face, which was "absolutely awful".

"Then there was a bang, the collision. I still can’t remember what happened after that."

Speaking of the crash, he told the inquest it was "the worst thing that’s ever happened to me".

Charges dropped

Medical experts agreed that the hallucination could have been caused by post traumatic stress disorder.

Mr Lilwall was due to stand trial charged with causing the death by dangerous or careless driving, but the charges were dropped in October 2022.

The assistant coroner for Herefordshire, Roland Wooderson, concluded that Mr Allen and Mr Ralph, who had worked together as lorry drivers in Ledbury, died as a result of a road traffic accident.

Their families remembered their loved ones as "great guys" and "gentle giants who wouldn't hurt a fly".

Jason Wiles from WMAS admitted it had been a "missed opportunity" regarding the apology and said it had changed its policy to ensure staff had a break of at least 11 hours between shifts following the crash.

He said the deaths of Mr Allen and Mr Ralph were "absolutely tragic".