A popular Sheffield man died after losing control of his “pride and joy” modified car on the city’s ring road, a coroners court has heard.
Kal Biggins, 31, was travelling on Hannover Way heading towards the Ecclesall Road roundabout at around 9pm on December 9, 2021 when his vehicle left the road. Sheffield Coroners Court heard that the Toyota MR2 he was driving had been ‘substantially’ modified.
You are viewing: Who Is Kal Biggins
The car ended up on its roof at the entrance to a pedestrian underpass leading to Headford Street, Kal was tragically pronounced dead at the scene. Kal’s Mum Susan Gardner paid tribute to her “well respected” and “popular” son who “seemed to take everything in his stride”.
Read More: Police statement as new search underway in Sheffield park over unsolved murder of chef Carlo Giannini
In a statement read to the court by coroner Mrs Rawden, Kal’s mum Susan said he had been a popular baby with his two older sisters. Both were proud to have him in their lives and he maintained a strong relationship with them until his death.
He went to Nether Green Infants and Junior School and then on to King Edward VII School where he would really begin to show an interest in football which became a huge part of his life. Despite some, at times, difficult circumstances at home, Susan said Kal took it all in his stride.
Kal went on to study at Norton Art College and gained a job in film industry for a Sheffield-based company. He passed his driving test at 17 and frequently commuted to London in a car, officers investigating his death described him as “an experienced driver”.
After being bought his first car by his dad, Kal would show a passion for cars, entering into the ‘modding’ and car-meet community. His mum described this as a whole new world of friends for Kal with whom he would remain close for the rest of his life.
Read more : Who Owns Optima Medical
He had purchased a Toyota MR2 in January 2021, Susan described it as “his pride and joy”. saying he “took great pleasure” in cleaning it up and taking it to scenic spots to take photographs. Something she believed he had done on the day of his death.
Tragically, Kal and his mum had spoken in the lead up to his death about meeting on December 10 or December 11 as she was to go away for the Christmas period. The pair would never get the chance.
Kal was driving on Hannover Way at the time of the incident which led to his death. He had earlier posted pictures of his MR2 at a scenic spot in Grenoside to Instagram and his mum believes he was heading to home to Meersbrook at the time.
Police said that CCTV showed Kal driving in a normal and controlled fashion from Shalesmoor to the traffic lights at the Glossop Road and West Street junction. Kal accelerated away from the traffic lights at a quicker speed than a car following him but this would be the last moments of the incident caught on film.
As the vehicle exited a left hand turn and the road straightened, Kal’s vehicle struck the curb on the inside of the bend and collided with street furniture. The rotation of the vehicle saw it briefly airborne before it landed at the entrance to the pedestrian underpass.
PC Craig Bakewell who attended the scene noted that light conditions on the stretch were good with the surface damp but not wet. Tests on the road surface deemed it not to have been a factor in the collision and the car behind Kal at the time he left the road was also deemed not to have been involved.
Sergeant John Taylor of the Serious Collisions Investigation Unit noted that a report into Kal’s Toyota MR2 described it as “quite substantially modified”. This included a new engine, a new engine management system, a new drivers seat and a new steering wheel without an airbag.
The modifications were described as those you might see on a “race or competition” vehicle. However, the report noted that all of the modifications had been installed to a good standard and none could have been considered a ‘defect’ which could have caused it to leave the road.
Read more : Who Counters Nunu
The police were unable to accurately ascertain what speed the vehicle would have been travelling at the moment it left the road but Sargent Taylor said the wheel strikes on the curb gave some indication that Kal must have been travelling above the 40mph speed limit. As did the momentum of the car through street furniture and into the entrance to the underpass.
He noted that while the modifications on the car would not have been considered a “defect”, they would have made it “less forgiving” and harder to handle. It was suggested that this, combined with a harsh acceleration may have led to an oversteer on the left hand bend which could have caused the car to leave the road as it did.
A post-mortem examination found Kal’s medical cause of death was multiple injuries caused the rapid declaration and collision. Professor Savannah indicated that Kal’s injuries indicated that his death would have been “almost immediate”.
A toxicology report, which is a standard part of the post-mortem process, found no evidence of alcohol, medication or illicit drugs in his system at the time of his death. Mrs Rawden concluded that Kal’s cause of death was a road traffic collision and said: “I would like to offer my condolences to Mr Biggins’ mum, his sister and all of his family and friends.
“He was clearly a very well-liked gentleman and I’m sure you’ll all miss him terribly. I am truly, truly sorry for you loss.”
Read Next:
-
Armed police storm Sheffield streets and make 5 arrests in connection with murder
-
Inquest to examine how ‘psychopathic’ Damien Bendall was deemed ‘low risk’ before killing partner and 3 children
-
Much-loved Rotherham landlord Gareth Hart died from fatal stab wound to chest
- Biting, brutality and bloodied faces… Inside Yorkshire’s underground bare-knuckle street fighting scene
- Get breaking news by email by signing up to our newsletters
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHO
