Pals died in high-speed crash - inquest

1:14pm Thursday 28th February 2008

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TWO friends were killed almost instantly when their car crashed into an oncoming vehicle and burst into flames, an inquest was told.

Steven Robert Worthington and his passenger Thomas Edward Jenkins-Brown were in a car which went out of control at more than 70mph in Blackburn Old Road, Hoghton.

Their Renault Clio crashed into an oncoming Citroen Picasso and was engulfed by fire close to the entrance to Hoghton Tower and near their homes in Chapel Lane.

Steven, a 22-year-old HGV mechanic and his passenger, a 23-year-old chef who was known as Eddie, died of multiple injuries and were identified by DNA, the inquest was told.

The other car was being driven by Royal Lanc-ashire Show director Andrew Thompson, a retired local government officer.

He said he had been to a meeting of the Royal Lancashire Agricultural Society which had ended around 9.25pm on September 27 and it was a fine and dry evening.

Mr Thompson who has held a driving licence for 40 years, said he had turned out of Gib Lane towards Blackburn and was driving at about 40mph when he saw the Clio coming in the opposite direction.

He said: "I saw two lights pointing at me, a squeal of tyres and then a crash. From seeing the lights to the collision was only probably two seconds.

"I looked out of my windscreen towards the car that had collided with me and straight away there were flames coming from under the bonnet."

Eugene Byron, of Church Brown, Blackburn Old Road, said he was sorting his bins out when he heard a car coming over the brow. "I just knew they were going fast," he told the Preston hearing.

He said: "I was walking back to the house when within four or five seconds I heard an explosion."

Accident investigator David Horsfield said the crash happened just after a right hand bend.

"Some action on behalf of the driver caused the accident," he told the inquest. He said the speed of the Clio was 52 mph at impact and 70mph when it went out of control, which was too fast for the road.

Coroner Dr James Adeley recorded verdicts of accidental death. He said people should learn the lessons of the accident.