Mountain road crash which caused four teenage boys to drown was ‘avoidable’
A horror crash off a mountain road which killed four teenage boys was ‘avoidable’ after their bodies were found two days after they were reported missing, an inquest has heard.
Driver Hugo Morris, 18, was at the wheel of his Ford Fiesta when it crashed off the road on a sharp bend before overturning into waters from a fast-flowing river in North Wales.
He was reported missing along with passengers Jevon Hirst, 16, Harvey Owen and Wilf Henderson, both 17, after their families failed to hear from them.
The four had travelled from their homes in Shropshire for a night away in Snowdonia when their silver Ford Fiesta flipped off the road and was found on its roof in Garreg, near Porthmadog.
They were eventually found dead two days their vehicle was found on its roof in a water-filled ditch.
Post mortem examinations ruled their medical causes of death as drowning.
A collision investigator said although all the boys were wearing seatbelts the car’s two rear tyres were underinflated.
Ian Thompson, a North Wales Police forensic collision investigator, said there was an ‘understeer’ as the car rounded the bend on the 60mph road.
Hugo’s Fiesta entered the bend at about 25mph on the road over the river after heavy rain.
Mr Thompson said the fastest speed to negotiate the bend safely would be about 26mph.
He said the driving of Hugo was ‘significant’ in the circumstances of the accident and the accident was ‘avoidable’.
Mr Thompson said Hugo had been a ‘relatively new’ driver having passed his test six months and 16 days before the accident.
He also found water in the nearby river had risen by about one metre due to the heavy rain, and the upside down Ford Fiesta would have been ‘fully submerged’.
A huge search had been sparked before the Ford Fiesta they had been travelling in was spotted by a passing recycling lorry.
Passenger Sion Griffiths spotted the vehicle and dialled 999 after checking a police appeal for information on Facebook.
The four had stayed with Jevon Hirst’s grandfather in Harlech, Gwynedd, and enjoyed breakfast together before setting off in the car.
But police and rescue teams had been searching a huge area of land made more difficult by the treacherous mountainous landscape around Snowdonia.
Traces of cannabis were found in the blood of driver Hugo but the hearing was told it would have had no effect on his cognition.
A Snapchat video posted by Wilf before the crash showed all boys were wearing seatbelts with Hugo driving, Jevon the front seat passenger, Harvey behind Hugo and Wilf behind Jevon.
In a tribute, Hugo’s family said he was ‘a giver of warmth, joy and mirth’.
They added: ‘He rarely criticised others and loved he could sense people’s emotions and connect with these. He had fallen in love with North Wales. His mum helped him pack the car.
‘He was happy and looking forward to the weekend. The world is shattered, bent and crooked now.’
Melanie Hirst, mother of 16-year-old Jevon, said: ‘Jevon liked to socialise with his friends. He was a very loving son. He loved the outdoors and going walking. He was very close to his grandfather and loved to visit him in Harlech.’
Harvey’s family said: ‘Harvey was charismatic and carefree. He had everything to live for. He was a trendsetter, unique and an old soul. He was wise beyond his years. He was a chef at a local pizzeria.’
And Wilf’s mother Heather Sanderson told the hearing in a statement: ‘The boys stayed in Harlech with Jevon’s grandad. He messaged me to say he had enjoyed a full English breakfast.
‘He was such good company with a sense of humour. We were blessed to have him in our lives for 17 years. We are proud to be his family.’
The inquest, at Caernarfon Coroner’s Court, continues.
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