Popular country singing great-granddad died days after suffering head injuries in bus crash

29.01.2022 - 00:52 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk

A country singer and loving great-grandad died three days after suffering head injuries when the bus he was on hit a car,

An inquest heard how John Nield, 78, and his wife Ann had just got on the bus at Church Street in Westhoughton, Bolton, on October 2, 2019 when it pulled out from the stop and hit an overtaking Honda CRV car.

The couple had not yet sat down when the driver of the Diamond bus braked hard as a result of the collision, causing them both to fall to the floor, John banging his head.

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He was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital by ambulance where he died three days later.

CCTV footage of the bus driven by Leopold Sidie setting off as the Honda driven by Christine Dunscombe attempted to pass was shown at the inquest.

Assistant coroner for Manchester Rachel Syed found that Mr Sidie did not see the driver overtaking the bus when he set off.

She was told Mr Sidie has been fined £480 at Wigan Magistrates' Court for driving without due care and attention as a result of the accident.

The Bolton inquest heard how John had a 'complicated' medical history. He had already suffered a stroke, had high blood pressure and suffered from type two diabetes.

But Pathologist Dr Philip Lumb said that the most probable cause of death was trauma to the head suffered in the accident which caused a bleed on the brain.

John's daughter, Jane Gleave, said her dad, of Holden Lea, Westhoughton had been born and brought up in Salford and worked at Radcliffe Paper Mill before later becoming a landscape gardener.

"Dad was a wonderful person," said Jane. "He and my mum were young sweethearts. He would never leave the house without giving her their special