A MOTORIST died the day after being airlifted to hospital following a road traffic accident on the Heads of the Valleys road, an inquest heard.

Gwent’s coroner yesterday released the body of 29-year-old Phillip Keith Bath for a funeral and adjourned the inquest into his death for three months while a police investigation continues.

Mr Bath died on Sunday, October 28, the day after his Peugeot car was involved in a collision with two motorbikes, with the rider of one, Glyndwr John Evans, also killed in the incident.

A 24-year-old man from Abergavenny has since been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and two other men, a 21-yearold from Brynmawr and 22- year-old from Blaina, on suspicion of aiding and abetting dangerous driving. All three are currently on bail.

Opening the inquest yesterday coroner’s officer Kenneth Le Provost said that following the accident, near Blackrock, at 1.25pm on Saturday, October 27, Mr Bath was flown to the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, by air ambulance.

Mr Le Provost said that Mr Bath died on the Sunday, with a post-mortem examination carried out by Dr John Williams and Dr Stephen Leadbeatter, finding the provisional cause of death was blunt injury to the trunk, consistent with a road traffic collision.

Gwent’s coroner David Bowen agreed that the body of Mr Bath, of Canning Street, Cwm, should be released to his family for a funeral.

He adjourned the inquest for three months while police investigations continue, saying it will be reviewed next year to decide if it needs to be resumed.