THE exact cause of an accident, which left a Spa man dead and sparked a road safety investigation, may never be known - according to a coroner's report.

There have been major changes at the scene of the accident after father-of-three Brian Peckham, from Meadow Place, Westlands, died following the crash on the A38 Droitwich bypass.

The retired mechanical and electrical engineer died three days after the accident while being treated in Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham.

Mr Peckham's red Citroen Picasso crossed both the central reservation and the Bromsgrove-bound carriageway before colliding with the barrier and bridge near the Ombersley roundabout.

The accident happened at around 3.40pm on November 2, 2005, just an hour-and-a-half after an almost identical accident which left a second man injured.

After the two accidents one lane of the dual carriageway was coned off as a safety precaution. A few months later the changes were made permanent.

The inquest into the death of Mr Peckham, aged 62, was held last Wednesday. Coroner Victor Round said that the fatality occurred as a result of Mr Peckham losing control of his vehicle while negotiating a left hand bend on the Worcester-bound carriageway of the A38 Droitwich bypass.

However, he also added that the exact cause of the initial loss of control may never be known, as there is no physical or eyewitness evidence that accounts for it.

In the conclusion of the inquest report it also said that tests conducted at the scene, and a previous collision in the same location, suggested that the condition of the road surface may have reduced the speed at which the bend could be safely negotiated.

However, inquiries with the highways authority suggested that the road was within the accepted tolerance for skid resistance.

The inquest report also included a statement from West Mercia police road traffic expert Graham Powell. He suggested that Mr Peckham may have experienced under-steer, a phenomenon where the vehicle 'drifts' into the turn at a wider arc than intended. He added that under-steer could happen in wet conditions or on a poor road surface and may lead to the driver increasing the steering. That could then lead to over-steer, which is even harder to correct.

Another point that was highlighted by PC Powell was that the barrier, which was hit in the first accident, was damaged to the extent that it was less effective for the second and fatal collision shortly afterwards.

The cause of death was given as shock and haemorrhage and multiple injuries.

A contributing factor was given as a form of heart disease, which did not cause his death but contributed to it during the days after the crash.

Mr Round said: "It appears that a number of factors combined to increase the severity of the collision, however an exact cause of the initial loss of control cannot be established."