Coroner raises concerns about new drivers after four teenagers killed in Gwynedd crash

A coroner has raised concerns about young, newly-qualified drivers carrying passengers after an inquest into the deaths of four teenagers who died when their car rolled into a ditch in Gwynedd.

Hugo Morris, 18, lost control of his silver Ford Fiesta on the A4085 in Garreg, Llanfrothen, between Penrhyndeudraeth and Beddgelert, on November 19 last year while on a camping trip to Snowdonia with Jevon Hirst, 16, Harvey Owen, 17, and Wilf Fitchett, 17, all from the Shropshire area.

An inquest held in Caernarfon on Wednesday heard Mr Morris, described by his family as having a “thirst for life”, had passed his driving test just more than six months before and “wanted an adventure with his friends”.

Dr Anton van Dellen, representing the family of Harvey, whose mother Crystal has campaigned for graduated driving licences for new drivers, said the coroner should consider making a report for the prevention of future deaths.

Recreation

He said: “One of the features of this case is that there were three children travelling with the driver on a road in North Wales, presumably heading to a place of recreation.

“That’s a scenario which in my opinion is very likely to reoccur in the future.”

Wilf’s mother Heather Sanderson said: “We gave Wilf permission to go because we believed that the driver had passed his driving test, which he had, and we were more than happy.

“We had done our research and I think we would make the decision again, not knowing the outcome. I don’t think our decision was flawed.”

Senior coroner for north west Wales Kate Robertson said she would write to the Department for Transport and the DVLA to raise concerns that deaths could continue to occur where “young, newly-qualified drivers are permitted to carry passengers”.

‘Let down’

Speaking outside the coroner’s court, Ms Owen said she was “very happy” with the outcome but the Government still needed to act.

She said: “My son was able to get in the back of a car driven by a young, inexperienced driver and be driven on an unfamiliar rural road without my knowledge. He was let down by an outdated driving licence system.”

Recording a conclusion of road traffic collision, the coroner said: “I find that all four young men would have died very soon following the collision, given the post-mortem findings and that they died by drowning.”

She said the signage in the area would not have given adequate warning of the upcoming bend.

The court heard extra signage and chevrons had been put in place following the collision but a broken fence, which had apparently been damaged in an earlier crash, had still not been replaced and was on land not owned by the council.

Fencing

The coroner also said she would issue a report for the prevention of future deaths concerning fencing or a safety barrier in the area, and asked Gwynedd Council to provide details of the landowner.

Mrs Sanderson said she thought if the fence had been in better condition, it could have made a difference.

She said: “If all of those circumstances arose again then there’s a possibility that could happen again.

“It’s too late for Wilf and his friends. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that could happen again even with improved signage.

“I want to know who owns that fence and I think it should be protecting that hazard.”

The friends, who were reported missing on the afternoon of November 20, were found when recycling collector Sion Griffith and his colleague drove along the road at about 10am on November 21.

Upside down

In a statement, Mr Griffith said he saw a vehicle upside down and “wedged” in a ditch about 10 feet away from the side of the road and, after getting out, checked a police Facebook appeal and realised the car had the same registration number as the one the missing boys were in.

Post-mortem evidence showed none of the teenagers had significant injuries but examinations of their lungs showed features of drowning.

Forensic collision investigator Ian Thompson told the court although the speed limit on the road was 60mph, the critical speed for the bend was 38mph.

He said: “The vehicle has come into the bend a little bit too quickly and has understeered.”

He said it had been raining heavily on the day of the crash and water levels in a nearby river had risen by one metre over two days, with water in the ditch at the side of the road usually rising at a similar level.

Mr Thompson said based on CCTV he estimated the collision occurred just after 11.40am on November 19.

He added: “Mr Morris negotiated the right-hand bend, entered onto the grass verge, went down a steep embankment and then into a water-filled drainage ditch.”