by Keyan Milanian

The daughter of a man killed in a car crash screamed at him to slow down shortly before the fatal collision, an inquest revealed.

Vaughn Lambird, 50, of Aylesford Crescent, Gillingham, had picked up his daughter Felicity, 15, and her friend from school when he crashed into another car in Upchat Road, Chattenden.

A statement from Felicity was read out at the hearing at County Hall, Maidstone, on Thursday.

The teenager said she had asked to be taken to her mother’s house, Mr Lambird’s ex-wife, to pick up personal items on November 6 last year.

Felicity’s friend had been sitting in the front passenger seat of the Nissan 200SX with Felicity immediately behind her.

Felicity’s statement said: “I said 'Dad, could you slow down a bit, how fast are you going?’ and he said ' Oh, we are going nice and slow, like 50 or something’, I was screaming and we said you need to slow down, he did slow down and then we hit another car.”

According to Robert Giles, a forensic collision investigator, skid marks at the scene indicated Mr Lambird may have been driving at speeds in excess of 70mph in the 30mph zone when he slammed on the brakes of his car, locking his wheels and colliding with a Vauxhall Astra.

His car was still travelling at about 50mph when it crashed.

The Kent Air Ambulance, paramedics, police, fire fighters and military personnel from nearby Chattenden barracks all helped but Mr Lambird was pronounced dead at the scene. He had suffered multiple injuries.

Coroner Roger Sykes recorded a verdict of accidental death but was critical of Mr Lambird’s driving prior to the crash.

Mr Sykes said: “By way of elaboration it is apparent from the evidence it has to reflect poorly on Mr Lambird that both his daughter and her friend had asked him to slow down and it was his speed that caused him to brake heavily.

“His driving does not reflect well on him but it is still a tragedy that he lost his life in this collision.”

Speaking afterwards, Mr Lambird’s sister Adele Walker, of Chalky Bank, Gravesend, said the findings of the inquest had been difficult to accept.

“Obviously you don’t like to hear that about your family but if that is the truth you have to deal with it” she said. “I’m very upset about it because I don’t like to think he was being reckless, he did wrong but he has paid the ultimate price for it.

“I didn’t like what I heard, as a family member you tend to not like your own critics and the summing up gave me a good kicking so it has been a very difficult time.”

Vaughn was born in Dartford and went to Temple Hill Primary school, Fleetdown Junior school and Downs Secondary school, now the Leigh Technology Academy.

He moved to Medway in the 1980s and lived in Cliffe Woods and Chatham.

He leaves two children, Ayrton and Felicity.