AN OXFORD University historian who died on Christmas Eve after a car crash on the M40 sustained 'multiple traumatic injuries'.
Lecturer Mark Whittow and 29-year-old car mechanic Shane Stokes were both killed in the collision on the northbound carriageway near Banbury on Saturday, December 24.
An inquest opening at Oxford Coroner’s Court today heard that Dr Whittow died at 2am and was identified by his wife Helen at the Churchill Hospital.
The couple lived together on Holywell Street, assistant coroner Nicholas Graham said.
A post mortem examination concluded that Dr Whittow died of ‘multiple traumatic injuries’, but a full inquest hearing into the causes of the crash will be held at the court on Tuesday, June 12.
The same hearing will provide an official cause of death for Mr Stokes, who was from Warwick.
Dr Whittow, a long-serving medieval historian and archaeologist at Corpus Christi College was appointed in November to become the next Provost of Oriel College – a role he was due to take on from September this year.
Oriel College’s flag was flown at half mast following the news and the college paid tribute to the man who began his academic teaching there and was due to return this year.
Thames Valley Police this week put out an appeal for more information about the crash, specifically asking if anyone had any dashcam footage.
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