Morville Heath: Inquest opens after car and police vehicle crash

John and Nerys Jackson died after their car crashed with a police vehicle

An inquest has opened into the death of two people who died in a crash with a police car.

John and Nerys Jackson were travelling in a Skoda Octavia on the A458 between Much Wenlock and Bridgnorth on 9 December.

Emergency services were called to the scene in the Morville Heath area at 10:16 GMT to a head-on crash between the Skoda and the police vehicle.

Both Mr and Mrs Jackson from Bwlchgwyn, Wrexham, died at the scene.

Mr Jackson, 60, the driver of the car was found unresponsive and died at 11:03 GMT, the inquest heard at Shirehall, Shrewsbury, on Tuesday.

Mrs Jackson, 57, who was a passenger in the back seat, suffered a cardiac arrest at the scene and was pronounced dead at 11:09 GMT.

Another passenger in the Skoda, a woman in her 20s, thought to be the couple's daughter, suffered minor injuries.

The driver of the police vehicle, which was not responding to an emergency, suffered serious injuries, the inquest was told.

The vehicles crashed on the A458 in the Morville Heath area, police said (generic view of the road)

Mr Jackson was born in Bury, Lancashire, and was a technical support engineer while Mrs Jackson, originally from Denbighshire, Wales, was a teacher.

The couple had two children and on Facebook, their son wrote how he and his sister - who suffered injuries from the crash - were still in "shock".

"They were on their way home from mam's flight from the Ascension Islands. I was at home waiting with my partner to surprise my mum once she got home," he posted.

"There are no words to describe the sadness this has brought to us, our family and the friends of both of my parents. We also extend our thoughts to all those with relations to the other driver.

"We are just glad mam and dad went together and we still have each other."

The inquest opened on Tuesday at the coroners court at Shirehall, Shrewsbury

The incident was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct and the force's Professional Standards Department has been alerted, as is normal practice.

The inquest was adjourned until 17 April.