A NEWPORT man died after his car aquaplaned on a flooded city road, an inquest was told.

Michael Harvey, 33, of Underwood, suffered multiple internal injuries after he lost control of his Renault Megane on the A467 between Rogerstone and Bassaleg on February 18 this year. He was pronounced dead at Newport’s Royal Gwent Hospital.

The delivery driver was travelling on the southbound carriage way towards Newport when his car hit a large patch of water causing him to aquaplane across two lanes and crash into a lamppost.

In a statement read to Gwent Coroner’s Court on Thursday by motorist Gerwyn Collyer said there was a lot of surface water on the dual carriageway forcing him to drop his speed to 50 mph when he felt his own car aquaplane.

Moments later he saw Mr Harvey’s green Megane pass him travelling around 80 mph towards a pool of water, which stretched across the road and was around two inches deep.

He said the car did not brake and as it hit the water, spray covered it so he could only see its roof, before it spiralled out of control and crashed.

PC Paul Hawkins, of Gwent Police's forensic collision unit who visited the scene after the collision, said nearby drains were blocked with silt following heavy rainfall.

He said water was flowing from the northbound carriageway to the south and was running "like a river" down a slip road onto the dual carriageway.

PC Hawkins said there were historic problems with flooding on the northbound carriage and signs were in place to warn drivers to take care, but there were none on the southbound carriageway.

He added that once Mr Harvey’s car was aquaplaning he would not have been unable to control his speed, direction or brakes, to prevent the collision.

Gwent Coroner David Bowen said standing water, coupled with the speed Mr Harvey was travelling at - which he said was too fast for the conditions - contributed to his death.

He recorded a verdict of accidental death.

• Following his death, Mr Harvey’s family and friends started a campaign calling for better drainage and signage to warn of the flood risk where he lost his life.

An e-petition on the Welsh Assembly website attracted more than 400 signatures in a month before it was closed in March.