Council failure to put up signs contributed to Queens Drive flooding tragedy
Coroner says failures to recognise danger contributed to deaths of Philip and Elaine Marco
An inquest has found that the deaths of an elderly couple on Queens Drive in Liverpool happened amid a long-standing risk that had not been fully recognised.
Philip and Elaine Marco died on 26th August 2023 after their car became stranded beneath the railway bridge between Dovedale Road and North Mossley Hill Road during extreme rainfall.
Long-known flooding danger
The inquest heard how the section of Queens Drive had been vulnerable to flooding since its construction around 1926.
According to the Record of Inquest, the excavation required to build the road beneath the rail line left it around seven metres below the surrounding ground. This meant that when heavy rain hit, water could accumulate faster than the drainage system could cope, creating a persistent hazard that had existed “from then until now”.
The coroner found that the risk to life had increased over the decades because of urban development and more severe rainfall linked to climate change.
No warning signs in place
The inquest recorded that there had been four previous flooding events in 2023 and that permanent warning signs had been planned but were not installed before the Marcos’ deaths.
The findings state that the Lead Local Flood Authority “did not appreciate that the risk of flooding in this location was a risk to life”, despite previous discussions about commissioning a Section 19 report due to concerns over safety.
The conclusion highlighted that the delay in installing signage and barriers amounted to a failure, with such measures likely to have warned drivers of the danger.
How the couple died
The coroner found that the couple drove into standing water during very heavy rain, causing their Mercedes to take in water and stall.
Another vehicle entering the flood from the opposite direction is believed to have added turbulence that contributed to the engine stopping.
Extreme rainfall then overwhelmed the combined sewer, forcing a surge of water onto the road and submerging the car to a depth of around three metres. Both occupants were later recovered by firefighters and taken to hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
A conclusion of misadventure was recorded, noting that the deaths were in part caused by the lack of warnings and the failure to recognise the risk to life.
Council response
Liverpool City Council chief executive Andrew Lewis said the tragedy had caused “unimaginable distress and pain” to the family and confirmed that substantial safety measures had since been installed.
He said: “Substantial work has been carried out at the site to mitigate the risk of future flooding. This included installing barriers, signage, and early warning systems, including CCTV monitoring and warning sensors.
“I have given my personal assurance to the family that the Council remains fully committed to maintaining openness and transparency in all matters related to this tragedy”.