A MAN died after walking into the path of an oncoming car, an inquest heard. 

Warren John Hooper, of Coates Place, Blacon, Chester died at the scene of the incident on the A548 Sealand Road that occurred in the early hours of November 27, 2022. 

At County Hall in Ruthin on Friday (October 4), an inquest was held into the 50-year-old's death. 

It heard that Mr Hooper, born in St Asaph and educated in Rhyl, had been taken via taxi to the Texaco garage on Sealand Road at around 3am.

The inquest was told due to Mr Hooper's apparent "behaviour", the taxi dropped him at the Texaco garage but didn't wait for the return fare - and drove off. 

Shortly after, at around 3.20am Mr Hooper wandered into the road - and was struck by a black-coloured Peugeot taxi.

The inquest heard evidence from the taxi driver, who stated that he was driving back towards Chester having dropped a customer in Queensferry. Shortly after passing the Texaco garage, they saw someone step out into the road. "There was nothing I could do," the taxi driver said. 

Dashcam footage played at the coroner's court showed the car colliding with Mr Hooper, who was sadly pronounced dead at the scene after the arrival of the emergency services shortly after 3.30am. 

It showed Mr Hooper, a father and grandfather, appearing to cross the road, with the car colliding with him on his right side. The inquest heard that Mr Hooper was registered blind - having no sight in his right eye and only partial sight in his left after suffering a detached retina in a fall.

Following a post-mortem examination, a pathologist determined that Mr Hooper died of multiple crush injuries. Toxicology results revealed Mr Hooper had alcohol in his system at a level of 108micrograms per 100 millilitres of blood - the legal driving limit being 80. There was also cocaine present, at a low level (below legal driving limit). 

The inquest heard evidence from forensic collision investigators at North Wales Police. It had been determined that it was "highly unlikely" that the taxi driver would have been able to react in the 0.75 seconds needed to avoid the collision - calculated by the the estimated speed the car was travelling and low visibility. The inquest heard that the section of the road is unlit, and Mr Hooper was wearing dark clothing. 

John Gittins, senior coroner for North Wales East and Central, recorded a conclusion of road traffic collision. 

Mr Hooper's mother, Moreen Hollinsworth, said she was "devastated" by what happened. She said her son had worked as an electrical engineer before his sight loss - which caused him to "spiral" into drug and alcohol abuse. She said Mr Hooper is "loved and missed" by all his family and friends.