EIGHT inches made the difference between life and death for an agency staff nurse who was killed when his car hit part of a wide load being transported through Dorset in darkness, an inquest heard.

Sixty-year-old William Lloyd-Brown, of Bearwood in Poole, died from multiple injuries at the scene of January’s early morning crash on the A31 at Winterborne Zelston.

But the hearing was told that if his Peugeot 206 had been just eight inches (20cm) closer to the verge, he would have been able to pass the vehicle safely as it made its way from Portland to Middlesbrough.

The crash happened where the markings at the edge of the road created a visual “pinch point”, reminding drivers of the 40mph speed limit.

Accident investigator Sgt James Allmond, who travels on the road regularly, said he had noticed that cars tended to move closer to the central white line at the spot. A jury at Bournemouth unanimously returned a verdict of accidental death on Mr Lloyd-Brown, whose widow Lesley said he had been a slow and careful driver.

The incident has already led to Dorset Police reviewing its policy on the movement of what are called abnormal indivisible loads.

They are now not usually allowed to travel in the dark, but if they do, they are given a police escort through the county. All traffic officers are also being given additional classroom training on them. District coroner Sheriff Payne said he would also be writing to the Department of Transport to suggest changes to legislation.

“All witnesses have said the convoy shouldn’t have been on the road in those conditions, but it was being done entirely in accordance with national policy and Dorset Police guidelines,” he said.

He added that although the lorry and its escort vehicle were fitted with amber flashing lights, they were not a legal requirement.

The inquest heard that at the time of the crash, the rig had a few lights along each side, but motorists approaching from the front would not have been able to see them.

There were also white working lights shining backwards so the driver could see how much clearance he had.

Anything sticking out more than 1ft (305mm) from the side of the vehicle should have been marked, but the red and white diagonally striped marker panels were still in the cab.

Mr Lloyd-Brown’s car hit a metal mudguard on a protruding wheel of the loaded reach stacker.

The keen runner, cyclist and walker was a trained Reiki practitioner and hypnotherapist who was halfway through training in emotional freedom technique when he died. “He really wanted to help people with addictions,” said Mrs Lloyd-Brown.