Freddie SLATER · Prevention of Future Deaths report

On 18 October 2024 I commenced an investigation into the death of Freddie SLATER. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on the 9th April 2025. The conclusion of the inquest was

Road Traffic Collision

The medical cause of death was recorded as:

1a Hypovolemic Shock with Multiorgan Failure

1b Massive Internal Haemorrhage from Visceral Injuries

1c Polytrauma from Road Traffic Collisions

II Severe Left Ventricular Hypertrophy with Congestive Cardiac Failure

At about 06.19 hours on Wednesday 16th October 2024,the Deceased was driving his Smart car to work travelling coastbound on the M20 motorway in Kent. He was unaccompanied and travelling in lane 2 of the 3 lane carriageway. He was following a Vauxhall Mokka car (Mokka) also travelling in lane 2. The vehicles were at or about Junction 1 at the Swanley interchange.

The Deceased was travelling slightly faster than the Mokka vehicle and upon catching up with the Mokka. There was a collision between the front and front nearside of the Smart vehicle driven by the Deceased and the rear and rear offside of the Mokka. The impact caused both vehicles to rotate at speed. The Mokka was brought under control and stopped. The Smart car driven by the Deceased continued over the grass verge which separates the main carriageway of the M20 from the M25/M20, 2 carriageway slip road. The slip road carries traffic joining the M20 southbound from the M25 and is subject to the national speed limit of 70MPH.

On crossing the grass verge the Smart car driven by the Deceased entered the slip road and was in collision with a BMW vehicle travelling in lane 2 of the slip road intending to join the M20 Motorway coastbound. The Smart car then travelled further in the eastbound direction re-entering the M20 in lane 1, stopping partly in lane 1 and the hard shoulder. As a result of injuries sustained in the collisions Mr Slater sadly died at the scene.

(1) The grass verge which separates the M20 and M25/ M20 slip road does not have erected upon it any physical barriers to prevent traffic crossing the verge from either of the 2 roads referred to and entering a parallel lane the opposite side of the verge.

(2) The evidence received from National Highways confirmed that under the present policy guidance, barriers would not normally be required as there are no features such as an incline on the slip road, bridge supports or trees requiring physical protection between the two merging roads of traffic travelling at similar speeds in the same direction.

(3) The facts of the present case illustrate that in the event of a loss of control of a vehicle travelling on either the M20 or in the slip road there is the potential for that vehicle, without any warning to drivers travelling at or about the same area in the coastbound direction, cross the grass verge to their side and enter their lane of travel. As both the material roads are subject to the same national speed limit of 70MPH, the risk of a high speed collision and fatality arises.