Inquest rules suicide after death of Devon Wright from Witney

An inquest into the death of Devon Wright, a roofer from Witney, ruled that the 22-year-old committed suicide after falling from a bridge on the A40.

Mr Wright had been to the Cheltenham Festival on March 17, with the inquest hearing he then went drinking with friends in Witney, before leaving the Rush sports bar shortly after midnight.

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The police officer leading the investigation into Mr Wright’s death said CCTV showed him running away from Witney town centre after leaving Rush, and towards the bridge.

Nothing suggested there had been a falling out with anybody, the officer reported, and there was nothing to suggest anybody else was involved in Mr Wright’s death.

Mr Wright’s body was discovered by motorists on the eastbound carriageway of the A40, with PC Mahoney, an on duty road traffic officer from Bicester, attending the scene.

“It was clear he had been struck by a vehicle as the injuries didn’t match up with a fall alone,” said PC Mahoney.

Devon Wright died aged 22

The inquest heard that first a car driver, shortly followed by a lorry, stopped their vehicles in the left lane of the two-lane carriageway after spotting Mr Wright in the right-hand lane.

With both vehicles stationary in the left lane, the driver of a Thames Water tanker then approached the scene.

All three motorists described the area as poorly lit, with the tanker driver’s statement read out at the inquest saying he checked his mirrors before moving into the right lane, in order to get round the car and lorry, which were at a standstill.

“It happened very quickly. I tried to swerve away and I think I hit his head. I was shaken up and shocked,” the tanker driver’s statement read.

Tributes left at the scene following Mr Wright’s death

Mr Wright’s mum, Michelle, described her son as a bubbly and kind person.

A statement read out at the inquest added: “He was hard-working and loved his job.

“He had a holiday with his friends booked and had a lot to look forward to.”

On the night of his death, Mr Wright had a two-minute phone conversation with his mum while he was at Rush, telling her he had enjoyed his day at Cheltenham, and would tell her about it when he got home.

Dr Eve Fryer, the pathologist who conducted the post-mortem on Mr Wright, said he had a history of depression, which had got significantly worse over the 12 months before his death, and that he had been removed from a bridge on the A40 on Christmas Eve last year.

Joanna Coleman, assistant coroner, ruled a verdict of suicide.

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