THE death of a Poulner dad killed when his car hit a stationary trailer will remain a mystery, an inquest heard.

Southampton Coroner's Court was told Ross Lipsett’s silver BMW suffered “colossal” damage when he crashed into the back of a Skandia trailer parked in a lay-by on the westbound A31 dual carriageway near Ringwood, at 2.30am on October 16.

A trail of debris was left after the car hit the trailer and ended up 75 yards further along the road at Poulner Hill , and on the other side of the road.

The 53-year-old warehouse worker from Anson Close, who had been married to his wife Angie for nearly 28 years, died from head and chest injuries at Southampton General Hospital.

The driver’s airbags had been deployed but Mr Lipsett was not wearing his seatbelt.

The driver of the Skania, which was carrying forklift trucks, felt the impact of the crash while he was asleep in the cab.

Southampton coroner Keith Wiseman said that Mr Lipsett was “not a man who was in good health at the time of his death” adding he had also been in a state of distress in the previous 24 hours.

He said: “This was a very unusual collision and the state of health Mr Lipsett was in the 24 hours beforehand must lead to consideration of whether he had deliberately rammed his car into the lorry and in doing so he was intending to take his own life.”

But because there was nothing else to suggest Mr Lipsett had deliberately driven into the lorry, Mr Wiseman recorded an open verdict.

A family spokesman said they were satisfied with the verdict.

l Mr Lipsett’s daughter Corinne, 23, paid tribute to her “loving, kind and sensitive” father after his death.

Speaking on behalf of her sister Emma, 19, and their mother Angie she said: “We are all devastated and wish to remember my dad as the loving, kind and sensitive man he was.

“He was an amazing dad and husband and would have done anything for me and my sister, always putting us first.

“He worked hard all his life and had a heart of gold. I will always miss him and love him so very much.”