Arran Cowen died as a result of a road traffic collision

Arran Cowen, 32, from Middleton died of multiple injuries as a result of a road traffic collision an inquest has heard.

Mr Cowen, a plant fitter, died when the Land Rover he was travelling in as a passenger, was sent careering down an embankment after it crashed into a car it was overtaking.

During the incident in Sierra Leone on 15 March 2013, Mr Cowen was thrown clear of the vehicle, which rolled over at least six times following the collision.

An inquest into Mr Cowen’s death heard that his wife Joanne had contacted him on Skype earlier in the journey from Rogbere Junction, where he was based, to an iron ore mine at Marampa.

The couple chatted for around four minutes, with Mr Cowen also speaking to his daughter. Mr Cowen then had to end the call but said he would ‘call back later.’

This was the last time Mrs Cowen spoke to her husband. She found out later that day that he had died in a road accident.

It is understood that Mr Cowen had expressed concerns to his wife about safety and working conditions in Sierra Leone.

The inquest heard that Mr Cowen and other plant fitters, all working for civil engineering company Dawnus International, had expressed concern about a local driver they had been using whilst on the trip.

It was agreed by their boss, project manager Jeffrey Scott, who was due to travel in a Toyota Hilux at the same time, to swap drivers.

Sylvia Korama was at the wheel of the Land Rover when she decided to overtake the Hilux at a speed of somewhere between 60kph and 70kph on a straight section of road.

Whilst attempting to overtake, the Land Rover struck the Hilux once or twice and began to swerve before rolling down the embankment and ending up in a bush.

Court proceedings against Ms Korama are ongoing in Sierra Leone.