A 45-year-old man from Walsall lost his life in a tragic three-car collision after reportedly taking cocaine and cannabis, a coroner’s inquest has confirmed.
Stephen Armstrong was driving a white Kia vehicle involved in a crash with a black Mercedes and a yellow Skoda Octavia on Darlaston Road, Pleck.
Emergency services arrived promptly at the scene on May 3, 2026, but despite their efforts, Mr Armstrong was pronounced dead at the location of the collision. He was a painter and decorator residing in Grand Junction Way, Walsall.
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At an inquest opening on July 29 at Black Country Coroner’s Court, Area Coroner Joanne Lees reported that West Midlands Police had notified her office about the incident. She stated, “West Midlands Police confirmed that Mr Armstrong was the driver of the Kia involved in the collision at Darlaston Road, Walsall, and tragically, he was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
A post-mortem examination revealed the provisional cause of death as “fatal polytrauma caused by a road traffic collision,” with cocaine and cannabis intoxication contributing factors.
Mrs Lees indicated that an inquest would continue to fully investigate the circumstances surrounding Mr Armstrong’s death, but no date has yet been set due to an ongoing police investigation.
West Midlands Police previously stated that the collision occurred near the junction with Wellington Street in the Pleck area of Walsall just before 7:15 pm on May 3. Their statement included condolences to Mr Armstrong’s family and said the drivers of the other vehicles remained at the scene and are cooperating with inquiries.
The police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit is actively working to determine the full circumstances of the crash. Authorities are appealing to the public for any information or dashcam footage from the area at the time.
Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact the SCIU directly at [email protected].
“Our thoughts are with his loved ones and we’ll be offering them support at this terrible time,” the police said, highlighting the community’s grief and ongoing investigation efforts.