The senior coroner for Liverpool and Wirral, André Rebello, has confirmed that questions need to be answered about the deaths of a couple whose car became submerged in floodwater on a Liverpool road. On 29 August, Elaine and Philip Marco died after their Mercedes became trapped on Queens Drive in the Mossley Hill district of the city. An inquest was opened and adjourned on 3 September at Liverpool coroner’s court.
Emergency services were called to the scene of the incident at 9.22 pm by members of the public. They alerted the authorities to a car submerged in water on the road passing under a railway bridge, and to believed to have people trapped inside. Responding quickly, fire crews located Elaine Marco who received first aid at the scene. She was then taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead. The Mercedes was later located and the body of her husband, Philip Marco, was discovered. He too was treated before being transferred to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The couple’s sons confirmed their identities.
The coroner stated that while there are clear questions for the highway authority, maintenance of the road and how it was dealt with during inclement weather, investigations need to be made with relevant organisations, including United Utilities, the water supplier, and Network Rail, which is responsible for the railway bridge over the road. In addition, the inquest will have to examine the history of the roadway, in particular previous incidents and complaints from residents.
Rabbi Avremi Kievman from the Chabad Lubavitch said that the pair “were a very friendly couple, they were very kind and generous people. My wife and I knew them for 30 years; they were personal friends…It is a terrible loss that will leave a mark in the whole community.” As previously reported, the couple ran a local catering firm that was popular among the Jewish community. A preliminary inquest hearing will take place on 27 February 2024
Read the full article from The Guardian here: Read More