A DRIVER who died after a fatal crash was found to have taken cocaine just hours before the accident.

David Provan, who worked for Mitchel Inglis, a vehicle repair shop in Scotstoun, travelled to Dunoon to collect a customer’s car on the morning of December 9, 2020.

The 58-year-old loaded the Ford Galaxy onto his car transporter and headed back to Glasgow, via the A815.

During the journey, Mr Provan crashed into the back of a lorry, which was stationary at the time, and carrying a static caravan.

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This lorry had briefly come to a halt due to another vehicle entering the same road.

Details of the collision were examined during a recent Fatal Accident Inquiry, which had to be held due to Mr Provan passing away during the course of his employment.

Mr Provan became trapped within the driver’s cab of his vehicle after the crash, which took place at Laglingarten.

Two passers-by called 999.

They then tried to assist Mr Provan but were unable to gain access due to the cab crushing him.

When a tractor driver passed, he was asked by the passers-by to use his tractor to pull the driver’s cab away from Mr Provan.

Two straps were attached to the tractor and a pillar on Mr Provan’s lorry, allowing the tractor driver to pull the cab and remove it from Mr Provan.

He was found to be unresponsive.

A paramedic who attended the scene also observed Mr Provan to be unresponsive, with a severe head injury and dilated pupils.

He had no pulse and was not breathing.

CPR was unable to be performed due to “lack of access” and Mr Provan was pronounced dead at 9.34am. He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

The area was taped off by police and collision investigators carried out enquiries.

The driver of the lorry that Mr Provan crashed into was required to undertake a roadside breath test and a roadside drug test. They both returned negative results.

During a collision investigation report, a statement read: “It is unknown why David Provan failed to react to the slow-moving DAF heavy goods vehicle in the roadway ahead of him.

“It is clear that he had control of the vehicle, as he managed to negotiate the sweeping right-hand bend and tachograph data shows that his speed was steady and constant.

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“David Provan negotiated the right bend at approximately 36mph. Despite having the opportunity of a view of the lorry ahead for approximately 6.28 seconds, he failed to react and collided with the rear of the caravan and vehicle tow bar.”

Both lorries were examined and found to have no obvious defects which could have contributed to the collision.

Meanwhile, a post-mortem examination found that cocaine was found in Mr Provan’s blood, indicating the use of the drug within a few hours before his death.

His cause of death was recorded as “cocaine intoxication with chest and abdominal injuries due to road traffic collision”.

Police Scotland revealed they were unable to establish where Mr Provan may have purchased the cocaine.

Sheriff M J Higgins said: “I am satisfied that I should make a formal finding that there were no reasonable precautions identified which could reasonably have been taken by Mitchell Inglis Limited which might realistically have resulted in the death, or the accident resulting in the death, having been avoided.

“I am satisfied that I should make a formal finding that there were no defects in the system of work relating to Mitchell Inglis Limited identified which contributed to the death, or any accident resulting in the death.”