I'm a Celebrity castle crash: Inquest into Sharn Hughes death concluded

Sharn Hughes suffered "catastrophic injuries, incompatible with life", her inquest was told

A man has described the moment his wife was fatally hit by a car while going to take pictures of the castle where TV show I'm a Celebrity was being filmed.

Sharn Hughes, 58, from Prestatyn, Denbighshire, died on Abergele Road, Llanddulas, near Gwrych Castle, in Conwy county on 21 November.

An inquest in Ruthin heard she suffered "catastrophic injuries, incompatible with life".

The coroner recorded a conclusion of death from a road traffic collision.

Coroner John Gittins added that he had contacted Conwy council and been told a temporary 30mph (48km/h) speed limit would be in place at the scene of the fatal collision when I'm a Celebrity is due to start filming another series at the castle.

Mrs Hughes was with her husband Elfyn Hughes at the time but they had become separated on the unlit road as he locked their car after pulling over on the A547 Abergele to Llanddulas Road.

Mr Hughes' statement, which was read at the hearing, said in the immediate aftermath of the collision he was totally unaware that his wife of 35 years was involved.

The crash happened on the A547 Abergele Road which runs alongside Gwrych Castle

He described hearing a loud "metallic" bang.

"At first I thought it was bricks falling off the back of a lorry," he said.

'Shock'

Mr Hughes said he then began helping to direct traffic on the road.

"I presumed Sharn had already crossed the road and gone to help," he said.

When police officers at the scene told him what had happened "the shock of the information was too much to bear", his statement read.

Mr Hughes said he and his wife had been to Colwyn Bay earlier that day and "after a lovely afternoon" decided to stop on the way home to take a photo of Gwrych Castle lit up for the TV programme.

They had stopped at a point known as Middle Gate, an unlit stretch of the A547, where the speed limit was 60mph (97km/h).  

Mr Hughes said his wife had been "hoping to take a photo and send it to a friend".

He described his wife as a "beacon of light" with a "joyous and charitable attitude to life".

He said: "Her curiosity led to her wanting to see the lights at Gwrych Castle, which unfortunately led to her untimely and tragic death."

In the county hall hearing, coroner for north east Wales and central Mr Gittins was told the driver of the Volvo estate, Shaun Michael Davies, was interviewed about the incident by police in February.

He told officers he had accelerated after leaving a 20mph (32 km/h) zone near Abergele - in place because of people gathering near the castle during the filming of the programme - and was doing 60mph, the speed limit, when the collision took place.

He said by the time he saw Mrs Hughes in his headlights, it was too late to do anything.

An examination of the vehicle found no mechanical faults that would have caused the collision.

The best estimates available suggest the driver was travelling at about the speed limit.

There had been no use of mobile phones at the time by either the driver or Mrs Hughes and neither had been drinking. 

Forensic collision investigator Simon Richards told the inquest Mrs Hughes' dark clothing and the fact another car was doing a U-turn at the time of the collision may have been factors in preventing Shaun Davies seeing her.  

He said the driver would not have had time to react and avoid Mrs Hughes as she came onto the carriageway.

'Incredibly proud'

Mr Gittins said Mrs Hughes, who was declared dead at the scene, "would not have known a great deal of what happened" and he hoped that would offer her family "a glimmer of comfort".

"I can't begin to imagine how difficult that must have been for you, Mr Hughes, at the scene," he said.

After hearing how, at the time of her death, Mrs Hughes had been helping prepare food hampers for a local food bank and how £5,000 had been raised for the same cause in her memory, Mr Gittins said her family "must be incredibly proud" of her.