My friend Reesey R.IP. it was awhile ago when he died but he was a top lad.
FAULTY brakes were to blame for the accident that caused the death of a Worksop soldier in Iraq.
Sgt Wayne Rees, 36, died on 7th January last year whilst commanding a Scimitar armoured vehicle in the Maysan Province of Iraq when he was involved in a road accident.
At Nottingham Coroners' Court, it has been revealed that the armoured vehicle Sgt Rees was travelling in had faulty brakes. And although Sgt Rees was aware of this, he declared it was fit to use.
During the inquest it was heard that the wrong brake fluid had been put in the vehicle. Despite the mistake being recognised and the fluid flushed out, this wasn't enough to make the brakes work effectively.
"Rees' vehicle problems were identified before 7th January and was acted on on 4th January at the vehicle check," said assistant deputy coroner Catherine Mason.
The accident happened on a mission heading 10km west of Al Amarah.
Witness, Sgt Stephen McCabe, speaking at the inquest, said the vehicle Sgt Rees was travelling in was checked only four days before and in his opinion should have been taken off the road.
An opinion upheld by the assistant coroner: "The vehicle should have been immediately taken out of service for the parts to be replaced."
"I've heard evidence and it should not have been left to the driver or the vehicle's commanding officer to make the decision on whether to keep using the vehicle."
At the time of the accident the driver was George Rowlands. He described what happened moments before the crash.
"Rees was shouting 'brake, brake' and I was shouting 'I am breaking.'"
"This was the last thing I remember."
"If it had been taken off the road then this would not have happened."
It was explained that the vehicles are checked every seven to 10 days with spot checks in between.
"We would never push the boundaries of safety to achieve a mission," said another witness, Cpt Oliver Church.
Sgt Rees' fiancee and sister were in court for the hearing.
In her narrative verdict, the assistant coroner concluded that she would be writing to the relevant authorities to make sure that this doesn't happen again.
At the inquest opening back in January last year, it was revealed he had died of acute asphyxia.
"Sgt Rees was travelling in a Scimitar military vehicle which was second in a convoy of military vehicles," coroner Dr Nigel Chapman said last year.
"At about 3.45am the first vehicle stopped suddenly and the second vehicle tried to stop but because of the wet conditions it lost control and overturned."
