Nurse died two weeks after minor accident

Oct 12 2007 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

A YOUNG nurse from Wirral died two weeks after bumping her head in a minor car accident, an inquest heard yesterday.

Kim Wilde, 24, initially appeared to be suffering from only minor injuries, but later suffered a brain haemorrhage and was found by her father in her bed.

Wirral coroner Christopher Johnson said it was clear Miss Wilde’s death was consistent with a history of being involved in a minor accident.

The inquest at Wallasey town hall was told the nurse had been driving a colleague home on the evening of February 7, 2006, when her Peugeot 206 was hit by another car when she did not give way at a junction.

Both cars received minor damage in the incident and Miss Wilde was driven home by a relative of her friend.

The next day she was examined at the A&E department of the hospital where she worked, Arrowe Park, by Dr Poornamathi Kandeeswaran, who in her evidence to the inquest said she found no evidence of serious injuries.

Miss Wilde’s GP, Dr John Briggs, also told the inquest he had found nothing to concern him when she went there several days after the crash complaining of continued headaches, and he issued a sick note to the nurse two days after that consultation.

But, two weeks after the crash, her father, George, returned home to the flat they shared in Shrewsbury Road, West Kirby, to find his daughter still in bed at 2pm.

The inquest was told her father had spoken to her and she had complained of continuing headaches and told him she had taken paracetamol.

He went to make a drink and returned to her room to find her collapsed on her bed and unresponsive.

He tried resuscitating her and called the emergency services.

Resuscitation attempts continued at A&E but she was pronounced dead at 4.05pm.

The inquest was told a police investigation of the accident revealed damage to both vehicles was minor and it had been a low speed impact.

It is thought Miss Wilde had struck her head against the window or windscreen when her car spun round. Coroner Christopher Johnson recorded a narrative verdict that: “The deceased died from injuries she sustained when the car she was driving was in collision with another car.”

Ms Wilde had been a pupil of Pensby High School, before graduating with a degree in nursing at University College, Chester, in 2004, and had been due to start another degree course in September. A former choir girl and keen swimmer, horse rider and piano player, she had worked on the medical receiving ward at Arrowe Park and had been renal liaison nurse for her ward.

Miss Wilde’s father and her mother, Linda, also a former police officer who lives in Greasby, have another daughter, Suzanne.

liammurphy