A motorist who died after his car hit a lamppost had fallen asleep at the wheel, an inquest heard. Bradford Coroners Court was told Maurice Gent, 59, was fasting for the Muslim festival of Ramadan and was “feeling tired” at the time of the collision. The court heard how Mr Gent, of Waterside, Bingley, was taken to Airedale General Hospital where he told Accident & Emergency staff he thought he had fallen asleep at the wheel. Mr Gent, a civil servant, had complained of stomach pains in the ambulance. He was stable on arrival at hospital, but his condition started to deteriorate and he died of multiple organ failure on October 5, 2007 – six days after the collision. The accident happened on the evening of September 29, 2007. PC Philip Jackson, a collision investigator for West Yorkshire Police, said the driver’s explanation about falling asleep may have been a factor, otherwise there had been an unforeseeable medical emergency. He said the vehicle’s speedometer had jammed on impact, indicting the car had hit the lamppost at about 28 miles an hour. Bradford coroner Roger Whittaker said Mr Gent was fasting for Ramadan and told hospital staff he had felt tired before driving.http://themuslimweekly.com/newsdetails/fullstoryview.aspx?NewsID=99C919CA4BD9F96A7A888D29&MENUID=HOMENEWS&DESCRIPTION=UK%20News
