Man killed crossing A4 ejected from bus for drinking minutes earlier

Richard Agar, aged 41, from Fallows Road in Padworth, was struck by a white Volkswagen Transporter van on the A4 Bath Road, at around 6.30pm on Friday, October 21.
He died almost instantly from multiple injuries.
Weavaway bus driver Austin Holliston gave evidence at the inquest in Newbury Town Hall, backed up by CCTV footage, which showed he had challenged Mr Agar for attempting to board his vehicle in possession of two cans of lager.
Mr Agar threw one can away and tucked the other in his belt, but was spotted drinking it on the route and was asked to leave the vehicle, which he did at a stop near Aldermaston Wharf on the A4.
Minutes later he was struck attempting to cross the road, according to eye-witnesses who said he had been standing in the road before suddenly walking into the path of a van.
The van driver, Lee Carpenter, a maintenance engineer, said the incident happened “in milliseconds”.
“As I got closer to him he literally just stepped into the road. I managed to swerve at the last second and thought I had just clipped him,” he said.
Mr Carpenter added that Mr Agar had raised his hand as he stepped into the road, and it was speculated that he may have thought he had seen someone on the other side of the A4 and attempted to cross without seeing the vehicle.
One eye-witness described how he thought a bin-bag had been tossed into the air by the van, until he got closer and realised it was a body.
Toxicology reports confirmed that at the time of his death Mr Agar had more than four and half times the legal alcohol limit for a driver in his blood.
In 2003 Mr Agar had split from his wife, Joyce, following problems with alcohol addiction, and although their separation continued over the years the two kept in touch as he unsuccessfully to control his problems.
Mr Agar was also known to the Newbury-based drug and alcohol advice service Turning Point, which told the inquest that he had struggled with “chronic alcoholism” and had engaged with them in the months leading up to his death, but often relapsed and could often be spotted amongst the street drinkers in Newbury.
An open verdict was recorded by the deputy coroner for Berkshire, Anna Burnside, however, as complications surrounding Mr Agar’s health, in particular the neglect he had shown to taking epilepsy medication, was raised.
“I am not ruling out a seizure, but it is unlikely. The collision occurred as a result of Mr Agar making an extremely ill-fated attempt to cross the road, however there is not enough evidence to say it was an accident,” she said.