Investigation and inquest
On 12th June 2018 I held an inquest into the death of Karen Diane Wiggins. The conclusion of the inquest was that the deceased who had suffered multiple traumatic injuries following a fall from height, died by suicide.
Circumstances of the death
Shortly before 6.20 am on Friday 1st December 2017 when she was found, Karen Wiggins jumped from an upper floor of the Fleming Way Car Park and landed in Gordon Gardens Road, dying instantly.
Coroner’s concerns
I learned that there had been a number of suicidal falls from multi storey car parks in Swindon, with previous occurrences at the Fleming Way Car Park, together with a number of instances where suicidal individuals had been successfully talked down uninjured. An investigation by the Council is called for. Inter alia such an investigation might explore the possibility of creating physical barriers to prevent individuals jumping from height and / or the posting of notices giving contact details for the Samaritans, a strategy that has been employed at some railway stations in an attempt to avoid suicidal leaps in front of trains.