MYSTERY surrounds the death of a man whose car collided head on with an articulated lorry, an inquest heard.

Graham Oxley was travelling to Runcorn on the Daresbury Expressway when his car swung on to the opposite carriageway and collided with a Volvo lorry at around 11pm on August 4.

Cheshire Coroner's Court heard there was no evidence to suggest Mr Oxley had attempted to use the brakes to prevent the collision, and an investigation of the car found that there was no fault that would cause the driver to lose control.

Carlos Boyce was driving the lorry that collided with Mr Oxley’s car. He told the court: “The car came straight over into my lane. It was not like a swerve, more like a controlled drive. There was nothing I could have done.”

A post mortem revealed Mr Oxley, of Oldham Street, Latchford, had no traces of alcohol, drugs or prescribed medication in his system at the time of death. The post mortem gave cause of death as multiple injuries.

The court heard on Tuesday how Mr Oxley, a salesman, had sought medical advice in July and been referred to a mental-health team for assessment after experiencing difficulties with anxiety. But no evidence of a mental-health condition was diagnosed.

Mr Oxley’s family told the court that they did not know where he was going but speculated that the Manchester United fan had been travelling to a pub to watch a friendly against Liverpool on television.

Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg said: “We are left with a mystery (as) to exactly what happened. Despite (Mr Oxley) being seen by three doctors, no-one ever came close to anything approaching a diagnosis. There was no suggestion of mental illness.

“There is nothing that fully explains what happened. Could Mr Oxley have deliberately driven his car into the lorry? It is a possibility but it is also a possibility that he fell asleep.”

Mr Rheinberg concluded Mr Oxley died as a result of multiple injuries.