An 81-year-old grandmother died following a heartbreaking accident in which her son accidentally reversed his Range Rover into her outside a doctor's surgery in North Wales.
A Fatal Morning at the Surgery
Celia Adams, a former shop owner and bacteriologist originally from Rossendale, had been taken to the Bronffynnon surgery in Denbigh for a 9.30am appointment by her son, Ian Adams, on Tuesday, February 18, last year. To help his mother, who suffered from osteoporosis, he parked temporarily in a GP bay close to the entrance.
After helping her out of the vehicle, Ian Adams guided his mother around the car. He left her steadying herself against another parked car before he got back into his Range Rover to move it to a longer-stay space.
The Collision and Its Aftermath
Unaware that his mother had fallen, Mr Adams began to reverse. He later told an inquest he had an "obscured view" and did not feel a bump or hear anything, adding that his vehicle's sensors did not activate. Tragically, he collided with Mrs Adams, who was lying on the ground.
Medical staff from the surgery rushed out to help, and emergency services were called. Mrs Adams was first taken to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd before being transferred to the Royal Stoke University Hospital. Despite surgical intervention, she passed away at 3.50pm on February 28, ten days after the incident.
Coroner's Findings and Family Tribute
At an inquest in Ruthin, senior coroner for north Wales east and central, John Gittins, recorded a conclusion of accidental death. The medical cause was respiratory failure due to multiple rib fractures sustained in a road traffic collision, with frailty and her pre-existing osteoporosis as contributing factors.
The coroner explained it was conceivable the rib fractures that led to her respiratory failure were a product of her initial fall before the vehicle struck her.
Following the tragedy, Mrs Adams' heartbroken family paid a moving tribute to the mother-of-three and great-grandmother, describing her as "the glue that held us all together" and an "angel on Earth." They remembered her as a woman with a huge heart who loved and rescued dogs, and whose home was a safe space for many.
