Driver learned of fatal Tipton accident on Facebook
The driver of a car that knocked down a 21-year-old who died hours later of his injuries discovered what he had done the next morning on Facebook, an inquest has heard.
Thomas Cox was hit by a car on the evening of his birthday, and died the following morning, the inquest in Smethwick heard yesterday.
Driver Ben Davies, who had failed to stop at the scene of the accident, told police the next day that he heard the 'bang' but 'didn't know what it was' at the time.
In the police interview which was read out at the hearing, he told officers: "I didn't know what had happened until this morning, I saw it on Facebook."
He added that a friend had posted an appeal for the driver to come forward.
He said: "It was just on there, it was on the news feed."
It was after seeing this appeal that he told his parents what had happened, and visited the police station.
The hearing heard that no-one witnessed the hit-and-run collision which happened at around 11pm on November 17.
Mr Cox, of Turton Road, Tipton, was discovered lying on the pavement, and he was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham.
The former Willingsworth High School pupil died the next day from head injuries.
Assistant deputy coroner Angus Smillie told Mr Cox's family he did not feel it was appropriate to call Davies to give evidence at the inquest.
During the police interview which was read out by collision investigation officer Pc Nigel Power at the hearing, Davies said he was driving towards Dudley on Dudley Road near the Leopard pub when he heard the 'bang'.
The 21-year-old said: "It just appeared. I just hit it like. It was on my side of the car."
He told officers he didn't have time to brake, and slowed down after the crash but did not stop.
When asked why he didn't stop, he told officers he was 'scared', and that he had panicked. He had only realised the extent of the damage to his car when he got home, and even then he did not tell anyone. He told officers he went for a walk and a beer.
Davies handed himself in to the police the next day.
Pc Power told the inquest that there was nothing wrong with Davies's silver Vauxhall Corsa at the time of the crash. He said: "There was no indication there was any emergency braking, no witnesses and no CCTV."
Mr Smillie said: "The collision between car and person was not deliberate, and on a balance of probabilities, I am satisfied of this fact. My verdict is accidental death in this case."
In April, Davies, of Old Park Road, Dudley, was jailed for 26 weeks after he admitted failing to stop at the scene of an accident.
