Scottish rugby star Mitchell Todd died ‘in tragic car accident’

By EMMA SWORD
Published on 18/08/2012 02:17

A YOUNG Scottish rugby internationalist described by his club as an “exceptional talent” died after suffering a catastrophic brain injury in a car crash, an inquest has heard.

Assistant deputy coroner for Nottinghamshire Stephanie Haskey said former Scotland Under-20 international and Nottingham Rugby Club player Mitchell Todd could not have survived the severe head injuries he sustained in the crash near Normanton-on-the-Wolds in south Nottinghamshire.

The inquest, which was held in Nottingham yesterday, heard the 21-year-old was found alone in a Citroen C3 on its roof in a field off Cotgrave Road just before 6am on Wednesday by a member of the public.

The passer-by called for an ambulance but Todd, from Coventry, was confirmed dead at the Queen’s Medical Hospital in Nottingham.

A post mortem examination confirmed Todd, who represented Scotland Under 20s in last season’s Six Nations and featured in the Junior World Cup, died as a result of a catastrophic brain injury.

The player, who was born in Solihull, had just finished a degree in sports therapy at Coventry University.

Miss Haskey said Todd suffered severe head injuries and could not have survived the impact of the crash.

The Specialist Crash Investigation Unit at Nottinghamshire Police are investigating the incident, she added.

No one else is thought to have been involved in the crash, which Miss Haskey described as a “tragic accident”.