Inquest due to open into death of dad-of-four from Sunderland after A690 collision

Gary Sloan died at the scene of the crash on Durham Road, near to Houghton Cut, when his black Ford Fiesta left the carriageway and collided with a hedge row at around 11.25am on Friday, August 16.

The 38-year-old, who was a father to four girls, had been heading towards Sunderland when the incident happened.

Sunderland Coroner’s Court, based at the civic centre, will open his inquest at 2pm on Friday, August 23.

Inquiries into the crash are ongoing by Northumbria Police, but officers have said they do not believe any other vehicles were involved.

In a statement released through the police, his family said: “Gary was loved by many and he was a devoted father to four beautiful daughters.

“He was a keen footballer and an avid supporter of Sunderland AFC.”

Collision investigators have asked any witnesses to the crash to get in touch as they establish what happened.

Dashcam footage has also formed part of their appeal.

The road was closed for several hours by the emergency services after the crash, with traffic diverted off the A690 from Houghton town centre and onto the A182.

It then remained closed and was also shut westbound for a short period of time to allow for the recovery of the vehicle.

Anyone with information about the collision is asked to contact police on 101 quoting log 356 16/08/19 or report it online at the Northumbria Police website.