Man who took cocaine and wandered into Sussex road died after he over-heated

At the opening of the inquest into the death of Ryan Prince on Thursday, Brighton Coroner’s Court heard how the 37-year-old had become so affected by the Class A drug that he did not realise the danger he was in.

Mr Prince, a ground worker who was of no fixed abode, was seen wandering in the A264 bypass between Pease Pottage and Bewbush on July 25.

He died the following day at the Royal Sussex County Hospital from multiple organ failure.

Coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deeley said: “The circumstances surrounding Ryan’s death are really quite complicated.

“Cocaine is always toxic. In Ryan it seems to have led to over-heating and multiple organ failure.

“On July 25 he got himself into a state of what pathologists call excited delirium.”

Coroner’s officer Claire Rogers said members of the public had called emergency services after they had seen a man wandering dangerously in the road.

Police officers who arrived at the scene tried to grab hold of Ryan, but initially he jumped over the central reservation area towards more traffic.

Ms Hamilton-Deeley said when Ryan stopped running in the road and the ambulance had arrived, he was terribly over-heated.

She said: “It was a very hot day.

“Ryan’s blood sugars were very low and his kidneys in a terrible state, and when he got to hospital there was abnormal blood clotting.”

Ryan was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital where doctors tried to cool him and he was transferred to intensive care at 7.30pm.

Ms Hamilton-Deeley told the court that doctors did not believe Ryan would survive an operation.

Addressing Ryan’s family, she said: “It’s always dangerous to take drugs by yourself.

“He ended up clambering up on top of vehicles and underneath them.

“The problem is that the man in the road is not your Ryan – he’s Ryan but he’s affected by cocaine.

“Hearing all this, you suffer in a way Ryan did not.”

Members of Ryan’s family present at the inquest, including his mother Jane Prince and his daughter Sophie Prince, said they had not been informed that Ryan was in hospital until the afternoon of July 26, after he had been confirmed dead at 2.35pm.

Ms Hamilton-Deeley said she would try to address why they had not been contacted at the inquest for Ryan, which has been adjourned until March 13 next year.

She said: “From the hospital’s perspective at that time, Ryan is their first priority.

“I can try and find out from the hospital what they knew.

“I cannot make you feel any better, but what I can say is that Ryan did not know you were not there.”

Ryan’s daughter Sophie said: “I think a lot of things went on that should not have gone on.

“We were not made aware of what happened until the next day.”

Sophie described her father as a “gym fiend” who loved to keep fit.

She said: “He was not a drug addict – he was a very proud person.

“He was really fun and could always make you laugh.”