A driver whose car flipped over on St Mary's Island causeway as he hit the water at high speed may not have known it would kill him, a coroner has ruled.

Terence Brown was discovered in his overturned car on the causeway shortly after 7am on December 27 last year.

An inquest into his death heard the 56-year-old, who lived in Whitley Bay^[1] , had stabbed himself and had been offered psychiatric help the day before his death.

Witnesses say they saw Mr Brown's car, a blue Proton Gen 2 motor, speed past the car park onto the causeway before hearing a loud bang at around 3am.

North Tyneside Senior Coroner, Eric Armstrong, said this was probably when Mr Brown crashed his car and died.

Mr Brown had been admitted to Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary^[2] in the early hours of December 26 after he had self harmed by stabbing himself, the inquest heard.

When at the hospital, Mr Brown spoke to the crisis team who said he was offered psychiatric help and a follow up appointment, which he declined.

Thursday's inquest at Howard House, in North Shields^[3] , heard that Mr Brown left the hospital by himself and told staff he would set up a GP appointment to follow up on his self harm issues.

Mr Brown had struggled with his mental health and alcohol, the inquest heard, and had been drinking around half a litre of vodka a day before his death.

A post-mortem found that he died as a result of a fractured skull and severe traumatic brain injury consistent with a car crash.

Mr Armstrong said the car drove down the ramp towards the causeway, hitting the sea before rolling over.

Recording an open verdict, Mr Armstrong said: "It would not be wrong to consider Mr Brown attempted to take his own life.

"What I find difficult to reconcile is that the method of trying to take his own life was extremely problematic, there was no guarantee driving down the ramp and into the water was going to do that.

"He could not have forecast the car would overturn and he would suffer those head injuries.

"This could not be seen as an attempt to take his own life.

"It could have been accidental. There is no clear cut evidence pointing to any conclusion.

"The only conclusion I can record is open as there remains doubt to his intentions."