Earlier treatment 'unlikely' to have saved man
Terry Edwards (64) fell to the ground outside a car showroom in Tritton Road, Lincoln, hitting the back of his head on the pavement.
About an hour before his fall at 4.15pm on June 26, 2006, Mr Edwards had been involved in a car crash as he turned into Skellingthorpe Road from Tritton Road.
He was arrested at the scene of the fall on suspicion of drink-driving after refusing to be taken to hospital by paramedics.
Mr Edwards, of Ashworth Close, off Doddington Road, was held in a police cell and checked every half hour until at 3.20am on June 27 he was found to be unresponsive and was taken to Lincoln County Hospital.
It emerged that Mr Edwards had fractured his skull and he died on July 6 after suffering bleeding and swelling on the brain consistent with the fall.
Coroner Roger Atkinson asked consultant neurosurgeon at Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre Paul Byrne whether Mr Edwards' life may have been saved had he gone to hospital sooner.
"No," replied Mr Byrne.
"He had sustained a lethal head injury which caused extensive damage within his head."
The inquest heard that Mr Edwards – who is said to have drunk a bottle of whisky a day – was found to be four times over the legal drink-drive limit.
For more on the ongoing inquest, see Wednesday's Echo
Terry Edwards
