THE mum of a man found critically injured in a dark lane with tyre marks over his body has asked how nobody has been made to answer for her son's death.

Dad-of-one Craig Jones, of Heol Maes y Dre, died from massive internal injuries after being found in a lane just weeks before Christmas.

Uninsured motorist David Usher, of Penybryn, Ystradgynlais, who drunk alcohol before getting behind the wheel on the night in question, faces three charges in connection with the incident, an inquest into 25-year-old Mr Jones's death was told.

Mr Usher, who claims he thought he had driven over a sheep or a plastic bag, is accused of driving without due care and attention, failure to stop as well as report an accident.

Coroner Peter Maddox said that in an early police statement, later denied by Mr Usher, he said that there was a good chance he had hit somebody or something.

Mr Maddox said the fact that Mr Usher did not stop was regrettable, but added: "I find there is no evidence before me that Mr Usher intended to hit Mr Jones."

The inquest was told that the Crown Prosecution Service has not made a case against him for death by dangerous driving.

Speaking during her son's inquest, Craig's distraught mum Katrina Dianne Jones said she felt dumbfounded.

She said: "I have lost my precious son who did not deserve to die. This young man (Mr Usher) is allowed to carry on with his life. He continues to drive.

"Drivers have a duty to take reasonable care to avoid causing damage or injury to others using the road.

"Craig sustained severe head injuries, crushed ribs, a damaged spleen, uncontrollable internal bleeding, a fractured femur and broken pelvis.

"How can these injuries be explained if there was no impact? Why is this not enough to prove death by dangerous driving?

"You can be (charged with) driving without due care and attention for bumping someone's wing mirror.

"I do not feel that this is just."

The inquest into Mr Jones's death, who was due to be married this year, heard that he went to local pub the All Blacks on December 1, 2007.

The pub's licensee Hywel Griffiths said Mr Jones became involved with a disagreement between three men, two of whom later left in a taxi.

Mr Griffiths said Craig was intoxicated but not incapable, and he had stood outside the pub to watch him leave at around 11pm. Mr Jones made his way home via a lane near Home Farm.

He was later found by passing motorist Morgan Bayliss who was driving down the lane to hunt for rabbits in a nearby field.

He said he saw a man lying by the side of the road, who seemed drunk.

The inquest was told that Mr Usher also admitted driving down the lane that night in a Blue Ford Focus.

Mr Usher said he took wheelchair-bound Edwin Thomas for a late-night drive because he claimed he "felt sorry" for him at being inside all the time.

Mr Usher said they drove down Home Farm lane at around 11pm. A police statement by Edwin Thomas was read aloud during the hearing at Ystradgynlais Court.

It said that Mr Thomas remembered the car's wheels driving over something, and recalled one particular "hard knock", which felt like "going over a brick".

Mr Usher, who admitted to having one can of alcohol that night, described the lane as very bumpy. He recalled seeing a white flash in front of him, which he thought was a sheep or a plastic bag.

However, he said thought nothing of it.

When asked why he did not stop to see what it was, he said he did not know.

Around five or six minutes later Craig Jones was found by local farmer Huw Thomas.

Ystradgynlais PC James Jenkins arrived at the scene soon after. He said: "Mr Jones was conscious, but delirious.

"He was wearing black footwear, dark jeans and a black puffer jacket."

The inquest heard that an ambulance did not arrive until an hour and a half later.

Craig was taken to Morriston Hospital, where doctors said that he had suffered multiple injuries.

These included head injuries, a fractured pelvis, a damaged spleen and massive internal bleeding. A tyre mark was visible across his torso. He died at around 2pm on December 2.

Mr Usher was arrested on Tuesday, December 4, but insisted that he was not aware he had been involved in any hit and run accident.

Coroner Peter Maddox admitted that while Usher had shown no remorse during the proceedings, it was not his responsibility to blame anyone for Mr Jones's death.

He recorded a narrative verdict, adding he could not say that Mr Jones had been unlawfully killed. The reason for this, he said, was because there was not enough proof of who had caused the death of Mr Jones.

He also said a medical report saying the delay for the arrival of the ambulance in getting to the scene may have been a "contributory factor".

The Crown Prosecution Service and The Welsh Ambulance Service were asked to comment, but had not done so at the time of going to press. Police confirmed Mr Usher faces three charges.