'Tragic loss' of teenager's life
A TEENAGER killed in a car crash at Denver failed to stop at a junction and was not wearing a seat belt, a Lynn inquest heard on Friday.
Police investigators could find nothing to show why Patrick Tighe (17), a civil engineer from Barton Bendish, left the Ely Road and joined the A10 without stopping.
Mr Tighe's red Peugeot 306 collided with a silver Volkswagen Passat before leaving the road and landing in a water-filled ditch in the fatal crash, which happened at around 7.30pm on March 15 this year.
Greater Norfolk coroner William Armstrong said Mr Tighe, known as Paddy, had died at the scene as a result of multiple injuries and the crash had been caused by his driving.
In a statement, Mr Tighe's girlfriend of 17 months, Katie Stone, said he had passed in driving test in December 2006 and she had "always felt happy and safe" when with him in the car.
Miss Stone said she had spent the afternoon with Mr Tighe and he had complained the "car had a mind of its own" and seemed to rev without going any faster.
Crash investigator PC Garry Knevitt, told the inquest Mr Tighe had not stopped at the junction and was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
Although the Peugeot's clutch plate was found to be worn, this would not have prevented the vehicle from being able to stop and no mechanical defects were found.
Witness Daniel Jessop, who had been driving towards Ely, said he saw the red Peugeot travelling towards the junction at around 25 to 30 miles per hour. Although he thought it was going "a little too fast," he believed he would be able to slow down.
Mr Jessop said: "the car slowed down a bit but it kept going," pulling out and colliding with the Passat. Mr Jessop had only gone a few car length's past the junction, so he stopped and put his hazard lights on.
"There appeared to be nothing the other driver could have done," he added.
Mr Armstrong said Mr Tighe, of Church Lane, had pulled directly into the path of the Passat and the other driver "was in no way to blame" for what happened.
"She could not have done anything to avoid the collision. Why he pulled out in such circumstances is not explained," he said.
Mr Armstrong went on: "The crash was the result of Paddy's driving. This is a tragic loss of a young man in the prime of life."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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