Man died after being ejected from vehicle (From Watford Observer)

William MacKenzie died after being ejected from vehicle

12:40pm Tuesday 5th February 2013 in News By Adam Binnie, Senior Reporter

A man who died after crashing his high-performance super car could have survived if he was wearing a seatbelt, an inquest heard today.

William MacKenzie, of Wall Hall Drive in Aldenham died, on August 19 last year, after crashing his Pagani Zonda in Hartspring Lane, at the junction with Berry Grove Lane, Bushey.

The 52-year-old suffered head injuries, bruising to his shoulder, elbow and back, and fractured his ribs and spine when he was thrown from the vehicle.

Jack Harper, a friend of Mr MacKenzie’s son William, was also in the car at the time. The pair decided to go out in the car during a family barbecue.

Mr Harper said: "We were only driving for a minute before we lost control and crashed the car.

"There was a sudden acceleration and the car was very loud and obviously going fast, it was the quickest thing I’ve ever been in.

"We were at full throttle by the time we got to the bridge, and as we came out I saw him (Mr MacKenzie) go to change gears, and then the back end of the car stepped out to the right.

"He tried to correct it by turning into it but it was a narrow road and there was nowhere to go. That’s when we hit the fence."

Tamara Tallentire was driving behind the Pagani Zonda just before it crashed and described to the inquest how she saw Mr MacKenzie "floor it" and accelerate away quickly.

The next time she saw the car it had crashed and Mr MacKenzie was lying on the pavement, having been thrown from the vehicle.

PC Robert Jackson from the road collision investigation unit described a set of tyre marks, which were found on the road and said they were caused by the vehicle spinning out of control.

There was a mark where the front left wheel hit the left hand pavement and then a sea of debris, including the bonnet and doors, left after the car smashed into a set of concrete fence pillars.

Mr MacKenzie was found lying on the pavement near the fence, having been thrown from the vehicle.

PC Jackson said: "Mr Harper was wearing a seat belt and walked away. It is likely that if Mr MacKenzie had been wearing a seat belt he would have survived.

"The vehicle and Mr MacKenzie were travelling at the same speed, when the car hit the fence it slowed down. If you are not connected to the car you would carry on at the same speed and leave the vehicle."

PC Jackson said it was difficult to estimate the speed because he didn’t have another high performance vehicle to base his calculations on, but said it would not have been less than 60 miles an hour.

Alison Grief, coroner, ruled accidental death, and added: "Mr MacKenzie was driving his high performance car on roads designated at 30 and 50 miles an hour.

"There were no distractions, he wasn’t smoking or trying to put a CD on, and it was a bright and dry day.

"Mr MacKenzie accelerated the car at a point that was unsafe to do so and suffered the unintended consequence of a collision.

"The tragedy is that it is highly likely if he had been wearing a seatbelt you would have not suffered this loss.

"If you do not wear a seat belt you are literally taking your life in your hands."