Inquest into death of 24-year-old Ben Lloyd to open two years after M62 motorway tragedy

A full inquest is set to open into the tragic death of a man knocked down on the M62 after a night out.
Ben Lloyd, of Womersley, who was killed on the M62 at Castleford.Ben Lloyd, of Womersley, who was killed on the M62 at Castleford.
Ben Lloyd, of Womersley, who was killed on the M62 at Castleford.

More than two years after the death of Ben Lloyd, 24, from Womersley near Knottingley, his parents went to a pre-inquest review hearing at Wakefield Coroners Court today.

Mr Lloyd was hit by a VW Polo while walking along an unlit section of the motorway between junction 29 and 30, near Castleford, on December 21, 2013, at around 3.40am.

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It is not known why he was on the M62 after first getting into a taxi following a night out in Pontefract. He had been out with friends on the last Friday before Christmas, or ‘Mad Friday’.

Coroner Kevin McLoughlin scheduled a full inquest, at which a jury will be present, to start at Wakefield on March 21 and it could last up to five days.

Addressing parents Paul and Jenny Lloyd at today’s hearing, Mr McLoughlin said: “You have our heartfelt sympathy for the situation you are in.”

He continued: “The duty of this court is to investigate those matters limited to the things that contributed to the death.”

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As recently as December last year West Yorkshire Police issued a fresh appeal for witnesses to establish Mr Lloyd’s final movements. It is believed he left the Malt Shovel in Pontefract with four people, including two women, at 1.30am and walked to the Horse Vaults. At about 2am he got into a silver Vauxhall Vectra taxi with the women. The taxi stopped at Natwest Bank on Ropergate before dropping the women off in Castleford.

Police believe that Mr Lloyd got out of the taxi at the BP Garage on Park Road, Glass Houghton, at around 2.30am.

After being offered the option of a March date for the full inquest, the family’s representative Richard Manning said: “Yes, they want closure.”

The inquest will hear from 17 witnesses, discuss details of the incident and reveal the findings of an Independent Police Complaints Commission report into the police’s work that night.