M11 concrete crash death still a mystery

Goose Lane bridge was cordoned off following the crash between junctions seven and eight of the M11

A lump of concrete that smashed through a motorist's windscreen causing him to crash was most likely flicked up from the road or fell from another vehicle, an inquest into his death has heard.

Married father-of-two Andrew Brett, 61, had been travelling at 60mph on the M11, near Birchanger in Essex, when the house brick-sized lump hit his van.

The Chelmsford hearing heard it had not been established where it came from.

Mr Brett, of Sible Hedingham, Essex, died at the scene on 9 August.

Det Ch Insp Martin Pasmore, of Essex Police, said: "Sadly, despite a thorough investigation, it's not been possible to establish exactly how it came to be that the concrete block penetrated the windscreen.

"There are many hypotheses and we've looked at all of them, including aircraft - we're near Stansted Airport. That's at the ridiculous end."

The crash happened at about 16:50 BST on 9 August

He said officers had ruled out that it was thrown from a motorway bridge or from the roadside, and it was unlikely to have been thrown from a moving vehicle.

It was also not falling bridge masonry, police said.

He added it was "most likely it fell from a vehicle or was flicked up".

Police said it was most likely the lump of concrete fell from a vehicle or flicked up from the road

Essex senior coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray recorded a narrative conclusion.

She said: "The deceased, Andrew Brett, died as he was driving on the M11 as a result of injuries caused when a fragment of concrete became airborne and penetrated the windscreen of his van.

"It's not known exactly how this happened."