Dad died after losing control of his car

Thirty-nine-year-old Paul Iredale was travelling home on Tuesday, November 13, last year, when he tried to pass the lorry while travelling down Fromes Hill along the A4103 Hereford to Worcester road.

The former Merchant Navy officer had been told of his promotion to plant director at Hereford firm Triplex Components Machining just four days earlier.

An inquest in Hereford heard how Mr Iredale, of Warndon Villages, had accelerated while overtaking to try and avoid oncoming traffic.

He rejoined his side of the road but lost control and collided with a tree, dying instantly.

Shaun Bentley, from Blakemore Close, Hereford, who was in the car behind the Scania lorry, told the inquest he didn’t think Mr Iredale’s Rover 75 was going to make it back into the Worcester-bound lane. “I thought ‘there’s no way he’s going to make this’. He then pulled in front of the lorry and left the road,” he said.

Mr Iredale’s partner, Rebecca Hill, said he had been returning home from a shift at Triplex Components Machining at 7pm.

“He called me around half an hour before he was due to leave, “said Ms Hill, who used to run City News in Angel Place, Worcester.

“When he didn’t return I tried his mobile but couldn’t get through.

“He knew the road very well and used it every day.”

Accident investigator PC Alan Paton said since the accident, work has been carried out to improve visability for drivers in the area.

Deputy coroner for Herefordshire Mark Bricknell said Mr Iredale died from a fractured skull and cerebral trauma.

He recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Speaking after the inquest, Mr Iredale’s uncle, Fred Bromwich, said his nephew was a full-of-life character who was a devoted dad to his 13-year-old son Thomas.

“Paul loved life and loved motoring,” he said “This was a tragic accident that happened on a road he knew well.

“We would like to pay tribute to the emergency services who attended the scene. They do a fantastic job.”