Overview

• Manchester South Coroners Court recorded a road traffic collision in the death of the 24-year-old, who crashed on the northbound A34 near Cheadle on May 26.
• Coroner Christopher Morris said Sam Gardiner was travelling at a significant estimated speed and weaving through traffic before striking the central reservation kerb in appalling weather.
• Greater Manchester Police investigators reported insufficient tyre tread on the VW Golf R and a very wet carriageway, with road defects and blocked grids contributing to standing water.
• There was no CCTV or dashcam footage and no reliable speed calculation, so the findings relied on witness accounts and forensic inspection.
• Gardiner was placed in an induced coma at Salford Royal Hospital and died on May 29 from a devastating brain injury, as his family’s memorial fundraiser for National FASD surpassed £28,500.