Inquest into death of Downham Market crash victim Marcin Zablotny will not go ahead

An inquest into the death of a man killed in a five-vehicle crash will no longer go ahead.

Marcin Zablotny died instantly in January 2023 due to the collision caused by James Porter, of Outwell, who was jailed for the matter two months ago.

Porter, 23, had been travelling on the A1122 at Downham in a blue Vauxhall Nova when he drifted into the oncoming lane of traffic and into the path of a lorry.

The two vehicles collided, causing the HGV to veer offside into oncoming traffic.

A BMW was clipped by some debris and a VW Passat was briefly hit by the lorry before it struck an Iveco flatbed truck head-on, killing Mr Zablotny, its driver, instantly.

The driver of the HGV also suffered a fractured skull which has left him with irreparable nerve damage.

An inquest into Mr Zablotny’s death has now been called off.

The Norfolk Coroner’s Service said it would not be disclosing the reasons for this, but it has been reported in other media outlets that Mr Zablotny’s family expressed no wishes for proceedings to continue.

Porter was jailed for 30 weeks and banned from driving for two years when he was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court in October.

The court heard that in the lead-up to the crash, he was recorded by a dashcam clapping both of his hands together.

He was also seen to be looking into his lap, leaning towards his passenger seat and on occasion, drifting into the opposite lane of traffic.

Porter had admitted causing death by careless driving and causing serious injury by careless driving at an earlier hearing.