Leighton Hospital
Alcoholic died after being hit by car
AN alcoholic who died after being involved in a collision with a car was seen 'swaying' in the road beforehand, an inquest was told.
William Boetteger, 53, was returning from the Bargain Booze shop close to his home in Manchester Road, Northwich, when the accident involving a Citroen took place on September 26.
Mr Boetteger had been a heavy drinker and had developed a complaint in his foot which caused him to stumble.
Evidence was given by Julie Goodyear, of Woodstone Crescent, Lostock Gralam, who had been driving another vehicle along Manchester Road.
She said: 'It was fully dark. He was swaying in the middle of the road with a carrier bag in his hand. He was wearing dark clothes, standing on the white line in the middle of the road, and as I drove past I turned round and saw him hit by the car.'
Witness Kath Kettle, of Manchester Road, said after the collision: 'There were a lot of people around him, and he was mumbling. I rang for the ambulance and it took him away.'
Despite efforts by doctors at Leighton Hospital, Mr Boetteger died on October 2 as the massive trauma to his chest and ribs had caused bronchial pneumonia.
The divorced father-of-one was described by Bargain Booze sales assistant Stephanie Clark as a regular customer who bought a bottle of QC sherry every night.
She added: 'He appeared to be his normal self, walking with his usual shuffle. He did not smell of alcohol at that time.'
The driver of the car, Jane Carruthers, of Lostock Gralam, said: 'I only saw him when I had hit him, I had the headlights dipped and your eyes get drawn to the lights of on-coming cars.
'The passenger side hit him, but I was only doing 30mph. I got out of the car and he was lying on the kerb with his head in the road.'
Verdict: Death by misadventure.