Swansea Kingsway 'a factor' in Daniel Foss death

The layout of a Swansea city centre road on which two people have been killed was a factor in a man's death, a coroner has ruled.

Daniel Foss, 37, of Reynoldston, Gower, died on 24 September 2013.

An inquest on Friday heard he did not look before he stepped out in front of the coach on Kingsway.

Recording a narrative conclusion, coroner Colin Phillips said the road's "unusual" layout and the coach's speed were contributory factors.

Mr Phillips, Swansea's acting deputy coroner, said the coach was a travelling at about 31mph when Mr Foss was hit, but added he was sure the main reason for Mr Foss's death was because he was not looking in the direction the traffic was coming from.

He added: "It was not possible to swerve because of oncoming traffic. Stopping a coach in a split second is impossible."

The road layout was changed to a single direction in November

During the inquest, road safety consultant Mark Steventon also said the road layout played a part in Mr Foss's death.

"In my experience, pedestrians pay very little attention to road signs or road markings," he said.

Mr Steventon also suggested a number of safety improvements for the road, including traffic calming measures and raised and staggered pedestrian crossings forcing pedestrians to look into the direction of oncoming traffic.

Previously, cars and lorries were restricted to one-way traffic, but buses and taxis used a separate two-way section.

Speaking after the inquest, Sgt Gareth Morgan read a statement on behalf of Mr Foss's family.

He said: "We have lost a beloved son, brother and uncle... We are relieved to see that the layout of the Kingsway has been changed and we hope this will now prevent further fatalities on this stretch of road.

"It is devastating that it took Daniel's life and the life of Sgt Louise Lucas before consideration was given to the dangers that this unconventional road posed to pedestrians."

On 31 March 2015 Sgt Louise Lucas, 41, died after being hit by a bus on the same road leading to barriers being installed and a one-way system was introduced on 1 November.

Mr Phillips added: "I am sure the main reason for the death is Mr Foss stepped into the road without looking in the direction the traffic was coming from, in contravention of the red traffic signal."

Swansea council spokesman said: "We'd again like to extend our condolences to Mr Foss's family and friends at this difficult time.

"We will now consider the coroner's findings in more detail to determine whether more action is needed."

The spokesman added changes had been made to the road layout including making it one-way, installing safety barriers and reducing the speed limit to 20mph.

Sgt Louise Lucas died in March 2015