A father-of-three died when his van crashed head on into a HGV, an inquest has heard.
Stuart Gilpin, 35, was killed in the early hours of December 23 on the A69 between Hexham and Haydon Bridge.
The married dad - who was born in Cumbria but had lived in Whitley Bay for 11 years - died instantly after the ‘catastrophic’ collision.
The inquest at North Shields heard how he had been drinking alcohol the day before and was in a ‘low mood’ following a domestic argument.
A statement read out from his wife revealed he had recently learned he hadn’t been selected for his dream job in air traffic control after rigorous tests.
Northumbria Police were called by Stuart’s wife when he left the house in the early hours of the morning and phone calls and text revealed he was deeply distressed.
His Peugeot van drove into the path of a 60ft articulated lorry which was travelling in the opposite direction shortly before 2am.
Ian Hall, of Northumbria Police’s forensic traffic investigation, told the inquest how debris was sent flying over 80 meters.
The HGV driver was not seriously injured but Stuart, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was left with multiple devastating injuries.
A post-mortem examination revealed Stuart was more than two times over the drink driving limit and was also on medication.
He would have lost consciousness almost instantaneously, the inquest was told.
Recording a narrative conclusion, the coroner, Eric Armstrong, said Stuart took his own life but was not ‘thinking clearly’ due to a combination of drink and medication.
He said: “To record a verdict of suicide I have to be satisfied that he intended to do what he did with a clear mind and I do not think he did that.”
