THE inquest into how a father of 12 died six weeks after being hit by a car has only served to pose more questions about his death, according to his grieving wife.
When 71-year-old Clive McFarlane died of a heart attack on June 19 last year, he had been making "good progress" after being hit by a car at Elephant and Castle six weeks before.
Speaking at an inquest into his death at Southwark Coroners' Court last Thursday, his widow, Beverley, said she was very confused by the evidence.
Dr Andrew King, who carried out the post-mortem examination, said the most likely cause of death was severe chest trauma, despite witnesses to the incident reporting Mr McFarlane had only hit his head.
Mrs McFarlane, of Falkland Park Avenue, South Norwood, said: "It has raised more questions than answers.
"Nothing conclusive has come from the inquest at all."
The hearing was adjourned after Mrs McFarlane, a former nurse, questioned the care he had received in King's College Hospital. She added: "I don't understand because he was getting better and he was recovering.
"He had a real chance and at 2am on the night Clive died, I was talking to the nurse and she was telling me how he was sitting up and cracking all the nurses up.
"But at 6am I got a phone call telling me to come quickly. Something must have gone badly wrong with Clive."
Both Mr and Mrs McFarlane had expressed concerns about the air on his lung from the injuries he sustained and the pressure it was putting on his heart.
Mrs McFarlane said: "Clive had heart problems anyway so we know it would have eventually killed him but not in this untimely way. I don't want any compensation, I just want answers for Clive."
The couple had had been married for 21 years.
Mrs McFarlane was accompanied to the inquest by daughter Jinea, 21, and sons Marlon, 19, and Jordan, 17.
She said: "He was a wonderful father and I'm so glad this accident didn't happen sooner because they got to know their father and can try to be like him.
"Our daughter Jinea graduated with a 2:1 this year and he would have gone through the roof with pride if he had seen that.
"He was such a special man, who made everyone laugh and didn't take life too seriously.
"He was also a fantastic husband to me. We used to have little arguments like any married couple but when it came to the end of the day he would just want to make up.
"Everyone misses him."
No date had been set for the continuation of the inquest when the Advertiser went to press.
Witnesses' account of accident CLIVE McFarlane died six weeks after tripping while trying to cross a busy London road, the inquest heard. Mr McFarlane, 71, is said to have ran and tripped on a central reservation before hitting his head on the back wheel of a car in Elephant and Castle on May 2. He spent six weeks in King's College Hospital before suffering a heart attack on June 19. Mr McFarlane was on his way to meet his wife for a game of bingo when the accident happened at about 7.30pm. Eyewitness Charles Crone was returning home from work on his motorbike when he saw Mr McFarlane appear to trip over the central reservation and "fall through the air" before hitting his head on a Vauxhall Zafira's tyre. The driver of the Zafira, Fraser Mullen, told the inquest at Southwark Coroner's Court: "I heard a thud against my car but thought it was a bag. I drove for 30 or 40 metres more but stopped when it became apparent it was a person." Dr Andrew King, a consultant neurologist from King's, said the most likely cause of death was severe damage to the left lung. The inquest was adjourned after Mrs McFarlane requested King's staff were called to give evidence regarding her husband's care.