A car crash which claimed the lives of four elderly Laxey residents was an accident, an inquest has found.

The coroner’s verdict was that the driver’s ’age and declining health had a part to play’ in the tragic car crash on July 24, 2017.

Derek Brown, aged 89, was driving his wife Joyce Brown, 81, and friends Kathleen Garrett, 84, and Marie Gordon, 81, when their Volkswagen Polo crashed through a bus shelter and hit a stone wall near the Fairy Cottage filling station in Laxey.

Mr Brown and Mrs Garrett, who was the front seat passenger, died at the scene while Mrs Brown and Mrs Gordon, who were not wearing seatbelts at the time, were pronounced dead at Noble’s Hospital later that day.

The neighbours, who all lived in Gretch Noa, Laxey, were travelling on the main road at around 9am heading towards Laxey village centre.

Part of the purpose of their journey was to pay their rent at the village’s post office.

A number of witnesses said that they had seen the car travelling at speed.

Revving and tyres screeching were also said to have been heard before a ’loud bang’.

Coroner of inquests John Needham listed three possibilities of the cause of the crash: Mr Brown was over the speed limit; he had mistaken the accelerator for the brake; or he had fainted.

The retired Tynwald head messenger had type two diabetes, which was regularly checked by health professionals.

He had also suffered a heart attack in 2016, but was said to have recovered well since.

Mr Needham accepted evidence from Mr Brown’s GP, that he had been ’fit enough to drive’.

The inquest heard Noble’s diabetic clinic had asked Mr Brown if he was driving, to which he replied he hadn’t for some time.

Concerned that question had been ’too general’, Mr Needham said: ’I would like to make a recommendation to the Department of Health and Social Care, that the staff of the memory and diabetes clinic should make inquiries to holders of driver’s licences and ask if they have any intentions to drive and give them advice concerning this.

’This may prevent fatalities in the future in terms of health or elderly drivers.’

Mr Needham also stressed that it was ’incredibly important’ for passengers to wear seatbelts.

He thanked people who attended the scene, saying: ’I would like to say thank you to the members of public for attending and trying to assist this accident, which would have been a difficult and disturbing scene.

’And to the emergency services who dealt with it in an entirely professional and caring manner.’

He passed on his condolences to the four neighbours’ family members, adding: ’They were proud Manx people who will be fondly remembered.’

A car crash that claimed the lives of four elderly Laxey residents was an accident, an inquest has found.

The coroner’s verdict was that the driver’s ’age and declining health had a part to play’ in the tragic car crash on July 24, 2017.

Derek Brown, aged 89, was driving his wife Joyce Brown, 81, and friends Kathleen Garrett, 84, and Marie Gordon, 81, when their Volkswagen Polo crashed through a bus shelter and hit a stone wall near the Fairy Cottage filling station in Laxey.

Mr Brown and Mrs Garrett, who was the front seat passenger, died at the scene while Mrs Brown and Mrs Gordon, who were not wearing seatbelts at the time, were pronounced dead at Noble’s Hospital later that day.

The neighbours, who all lived in Gretch Noa, Laxey, were travelling on the main road at around 9am heading towards Laxey village centre.

Part of the purpose of their journey was to pay their rent at the village’s post office.

A number of witnesses said that they had seen the car travelling at speed.

Revving and tyres screeching were also said to have been heard before a ’loud bang’.

Coroner of inquests John Needham listed three possibilities of the cause of the crash: Mr Brown was over the speed limit; he had mistaken the accelerator for the brake; or he had fainted.

The retired Tynwald head messenger had type two diabetes, which was regularly checked by health professionals.

He had also suffered a heart attack in 2016, but was said to have recovered well since.

Mr Needham accepted evidence from Mr Brown’s GP, that he had been ’fit enough to drive’.

The inquest heard Noble’s diabetic clinic had asked Mr Brown if he was driving, to which he replied he hadn’t for some time.

Concerned that question had been ’too general’, Mr Needham said: ’I would like to make a recommendation to the Department of Health and Social Care, that the staff of the memory and diabetes clinic should make inquiries to holders of driver’s licences and ask if they have any intentions to drive and give them advice concerning this.

’This may prevent fatalities in the future in terms of health or elderly drivers.’

Mr Needham also stressed that it was ’incredibly important’ for passengers to wear seatbelts.

He thanked people who attended the scene, saying: ’I would like to say thank you to the members of public for attending and trying to assist this accident, which would have been a difficult and disturbing scene.

’And to the emergency services who dealt with it in an entirely professional and caring manner.’

He passed on his condolences to the four neighbours’ family members, adding: ’They were proud Manx people who will be fondly remembered.’