A 'DEVASTATED' family has said they 'couldn't have asked for a better son', after a 34-year-old Hibernian fan from Brampton died in a collision with trees at the side of a road.

Rory Amos, of Millfield, died on July 27, 2023, while driving to work for a night shift as a mechanic in Carlisle.

Mr Amos was alone in the car.

While the collision was unwitnessed, Mr Amos' car was seen by Martin Johnson, a passenger in a car travelling in the opposite direction toward Brampton. 

In a statement submitted to Cockermouth Coroner's Court, he said: "As the road started to bend to the left I saw trees shaking and blue smoke."

He said that he initially thought it must be a tree surgeon, but as he pulled level, he saw a car had 'come off the road and down the bank', and that there was 'clearly a lot of damage'.

Mr Johnson went to check on the welfare of the driver, but due to the damage caused, could not see anyone, and signalled to another driver who had pulled over to call emergency services.

North West Ambulance Service confirmed the call was made at 5.33pm, and paramedics arrived on the scene at 5.50pm.

Kathryn Osborne, an attendant paramedic, found Mr Amos, and detected no pulse.

She diagnosed his death at 5.54pm.

Area coroner for Cumbria, Kirsty Gomersal, said that due to the nature of Mr Amos' head injuries laid out by the post-mortem report, his death would have been 'instantaneous'.

A toxicology report carried out on Mr Amos showed that levels of cocaine, ketamine and amphetamine were in his system at levels above the legal limits for drug-driving, and he had likely taken the substances shortly before his death.

PC Edward Mann of the collisions investigation unit of the police compiled a report to outline what could have caused Mr Amos to crash.

In a statement to the court, he noted that the weather was overcast and dry, with clear visibility, but the road was damp from recent rain, consistent with eyewitness reports.

He said the road was in 'a good state of repair', and an inspection of the vehicle showed no mechanical faults or failures that could have contributed to the crash.

PC Mann said that 'tyre tracks show a gradual deviation into the verge', but there was no sign of any braking or steering to correct his path before impact.

In a reconstruction summary, PC Mann said that he considered that due to Mr Amos' 'lack of reaction', it 'suggests some kind of incapacitation'.

He said there was no evidence of any intention to harm himself, and it was unlikely he had been using his mobile phone, as it was retrieved from his trouser pocket.

Ms Gomersal noted that the post-mortem showed no evidence of a medical event, though 'this could not be ruled out'.

She concluded that Mr Amos died of a head injury caused by a road traffic collision, with intoxication being a material contributing factor.

Ms Gomersal paid tribute to Mr Amos.

She said: "He was a much-loved son to Diana and Derek, an adored brother to Chloe and Samantha and a great uncle to their children.

"He was also a friend to many people."

His mother Diana Amos said in a statement that hundreds turned out to his funeral in green, paying tribute to his love for Hibernian FC.

She said: "Throughout Rory's life his main passion was Hibernian FC.

"He started going to matches with his dad at an early age and loved his team and days out in Edinburgh very much.

"He also followed them in Europe, and had several holidays watching them.

"He was the life and soul of any occasion, with a wicked sense of humour, and he always had a story to tell."

His father, Derek Amos, said: "We're quite a close family. He was great with his sister's young ones, always wanting to play with them and take them out.

"We couldn't ask for a better son."