Taxi Driver Online

Taxi driver killed in crash was more than three times over drink drive limit, inquest hears

A taxi driver who died after crashing into a tree was not wearing a seatbelt and was more three times the legal drink drive limit, an inquest has heard.

Dumitru Togoe, 43, of Chapel Road, Lingwood, was killed on Blofield Road on Saturday, January 18.

He was driving a silver Mercedes E300 and was pronounced dead at the scene. The road was closed for more than five hours.

An inquest into Mr Togoe’s death was held at Norfolk Coroner’s Court in Norwich on Friday.

It heard Mr Togoe was born in Romania and worked as a taxi driver for several firms including Courtesy, ABC and Gold Star Taxis.

He had been at bars on Prince of Wales Road in Norwich prior to the crash, the inquest heard.

In a statement, a student from the University of East Anglia said Mr Togoe struck up a conversation with him and his friend, a teacher, at a bar.

The three then went to several other bars, where Mr Togoe drunk beer, before Mr Togoe asked for a lift home as the teacher was not drinking alcohol, the statement added.

He was described as “friendly, kind and generous” and a man “who laughed a lot” by the teacher in a statement.

The statement said they dropped Mr Togoe home in Lingwood and, shortly after, they saw a Mercedes drive off at a “crazy” speed.

The court heard the two friends on their route back home saw the Mercedes had crashed and contacted emergency services.

Area coroner Yvonne Blake said according to a toxicology report, Mr Togoe was three and quarter times over the legal drink driving limit.

Mr Togoe was also not wearing a seat belt, the inquest heard.

In a statement his wife said Mr Togoe rarely drunk alcohol and that he always wore a seatbelt when she was in the car.

Concluding the inquest, Ms Blake said: “Mr Togoe died as a result of multiple injuries following a road traffic collision. I extend my condolences to his wife, family and friends.”

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IDFIMH

A good few years ago there was a similar incident here with someone who was by then an ex taxi driver. He crashed into a lamp post and survived with only minor injuries !

But the incident was as the result of a blazing row with his partner and the crash was directly resulting from him being in a blind rage,and, as a result storming out of the house and just getting in the car and driving off at high speed straight into a nearby lamp post !

I wonder if maybe this was something similar but with tragic consequences

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Talking generally and not wishing to tar everyone with the same brush.

But many Eastern Europeans don't quite get the drink drive message.

Especially lorry drivers.

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IDFIMH