David Lee WALSH · Prevention of Future Deaths report

On 09 January 2024 I commenced an investigation into the death of David Lee WALSH aged 40. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 18 June 2025. The conclusion of the inquest was that:
David Lee Walsh was travelling in a Mercedes GLC300 motor vehicle on the 6th January 2024 when he left the road at Whitegates Farm, Tetney Lock Road, Tetney and entered the Louth Canal. Despite rescue attempts David Lee Walsh was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision.

David Walsh and his son, Cameron Walsh were travelling in a Mercedes GLC300 motor vehicle on the 6th January 2024 when it left the road at Whitegates Farm, Tetney Lock Road, Tetney and entered the Louth Canal. Despite rescue attempts David Walsh and Cameron Walsh were pronounced dead at the scene of the collision.

During the evidence provided by the Highways Department, the Highways Officer reported that road traffic collisions, where there are injuries or fatalities that may have been contributed to by the condition of the highway, are not immediately reported directly to the Highways Department by the Police. The Police complete a Stat 19 Form which is then sent to the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership. The information from the Stat 19 Form is then collated and placed onto the WINGS software programme which is a Council owned software programme. This information is reviewed on an annual basis where the types of incidents are considered along with the traffic flow on that road and it gives a score. Based on the score there is then a ranking of sites where there has been more than one collision within a set area (known as a Cluster). The score is used to decide where the Highways Department should intervene first on looking at potential safety improvements. The Accident Investigation Team and the Road Safety Partnership then look at each of those Cluster Sites and investigate those sites. Consideration will then be given to what improvements could be made to the highway to reduce the risk of future incidents. As these reports are only considered annually there is the possibility that other incidents can occur prior to the annual review that could have been prevented had a report been made to the Highways Department at the time of the incident.