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Rebecca Owen had been carrying out conservation work
Mexico crash driver 'fell asleep'
The driver of a car which veered off a Mexican road and into a ravine, killing two UK tourists, probably fell asleep at the wheel, an inquest has heard.
A verdict of accidental death was recorded on Rebecca Owen, 22, of Llanfechain, near Welshpool, Powys.
She died of head injuries while on a round-the-world trip in western Mexico along with Chloe Taylor from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, who also died.
The inquest heard that driver Carlos Ibarra had been charged with homicide.
Reading from a translated report by the Mexican authorities, Powys coroner Geraint Williams described how the two British women and 10 others, includ
ing Ibarra, had been working on a conservation project in bat caves in the La Concha area in
February 2005.
The coroner said: "All of them had been working hard and were tired."
However, the coroner added, none of the occupants of the borrowed Chevrolet Suburban, apart from Ibarra, could recall the crash because all were either sleeping or dozing after the late-night trip.
Mr Williams said Ibarra told police later that he was dazzled by on-coming headlights and swerved to avoid a vehicle, on the Carretera Federal 80 near La Huerta.
The coroner added that he could find no evidence to prove that the driver was speeding.
Drugs and alcohol test
"This is a driver who was as tired as his colleagues," he said.
"All of them had been working hard for the bulk of the day. The accident investigation report indicated no evidence of any braking or change of direction or action to avoid a collision.
"He would have been sle
epy,
and
would not have noticed the left-hand bend until it was too late. This driver probably fell asleep at the wheel and the vehicle carried on over
and down into the ravine."
The coroner said Ibarra, who is from Peru, had claimed he had been dazzled by an oncoming vehicle and added that the Mexican report found the driver had tested negative for drugs and alcohol.
The coroner said he had no further details about the case of reckless homicide and overloading a vehicle which had been brought against Ibarra.
Another six Britons, a German and an Australian were injured when the vehicle left the road in Carretera Federa, near La Huerata, in the state of Jalisco.
A memorial fund in Miss Owen's name was set up following her death by her parents. So far, Ô�Å¡£20,000 has been raised.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/4414436.stm
Rebecca Owen had been carrying out conservation work
Mexico crash driver 'fell asleep'
The driver of a car which veered off a Mexican road and into a ravine, killing two UK tourists, probably fell asleep at the wheel, an inquest has heard.
A verdict of accidental death was recorded on Rebecca Owen, 22, of Llanfechain, near Welshpool, Powys.
She died of head injuries while on a round-the-world trip in western Mexico along with Chloe Taylor from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, who also died.
The inquest heard that driver Carlos Ibarra had been charged with homicide.
Reading from a translated report by the Mexican authorities, Powys coroner Geraint Williams described how the two British women and 10 others, includ
ing Ibarra, had been working on a conservation project in bat caves in the La Concha area in
February 2005.
The coroner said: "All of them had been working hard and were tired."
However, the coroner added, none of the occupants of the borrowed Chevrolet Suburban, apart from Ibarra, could recall the crash because all were either sleeping or dozing after the late-night trip.
Mr Williams said Ibarra told police later that he was dazzled by on-coming headlights and swerved to avoid a vehicle, on the Carretera Federal 80 near La Huerta.
The coroner added that he could find no evidence to prove that the driver was speeding.
Drugs and alcohol test
"This is a driver who was as tired as his colleagues," he said.
"All of them had been working hard for the bulk of the day. The accident investigation report indicated no evidence of any braking or change of direction or action to avoid a collision.
"He would have been sle
epy,
and
would not have noticed the left-hand bend until it was too late. This driver probably fell asleep at the wheel and the vehicle carried on over
and down into the ravine."
The coroner said Ibarra, who is from Peru, had claimed he had been dazzled by an oncoming vehicle and added that the Mexican report found the driver had tested negative for drugs and alcohol.
The coroner said he had no further details about the case of reckless homicide and overloading a vehicle which had been brought against Ibarra.
Another six Britons, a German and an Australian were injured when the vehicle left the road in Carretera Federa, near La Huerata, in the state of Jalisco.
A memorial fund in Miss Owen's name was set up following her death by her parents. So far, Ô�Å¡£20,000 has been raised.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/4414436.stm