Warning signs at road bend where four Shrewsbury boys crashed and drowned 'not adequate' - coroner

Shrewsbury boys Hugo Oliver Morris, aged 18, Jevon Alexander Hirst, 16, Harvey Graham Owen, 17, and Wilfred John Fitchett, also 17, went missing on November 19 last year after going to North Wales.

A major search operation took place but, sadly, the boys were found dead in Llanfrothen on November 21 in a tragedy which shocked the county and the whole country.

The Ford Fiesta they travelled in was found on its roof, partially submerged in water, after coming off the A4085 at Garreg, near Tremadog.

Around 50 people including family members, police officers and local and national press were in attendance at an inquest into the boys's deaths at Caernarfon today.

The hearing was told the boys had gone to stay the night at Jevon's grandfather's house and then planned on doing some walking and camping. Wilf had enjoyed a full English breakfast, according to his mum, Heather Sanderson.

Evidence was read from Sion Griffith, a refuse collector who discovered the boys' overturned car while on his early morning rounds on November 21.

He spotted the vehicle and told his colleague to stop their lorry.

Mr Griffith said he remembered seeing a Facebook post from North Wales Police about the missing boys, and found that the registration plate on the car in the ditch matched that on the police appeal.

"I dialled 999 and requested to be put through to the police and explained the circumstances," he said. He added that a police car was on the scene in two minutes, before more officers and paramedics arrived.

The inquest also heard post-mortem evidence from a pathologist and two collision investigators.

The hearing was told that Hugo was driving the car, having passed his test about six months earlier, and a toxicology test found low levels of cannabis and alcohol in his system, but not enough to affect his ability to drive.

It is understood from phone and CCTV records that the crash happened at around 11.43am on November 19. Jevon's mother reported her son missing the following day, and the car was found on November 21.

A Snapchat video was taken by Wilf shortly before the estimated time of the crash, and suggested nothing untoward with the manner of Hugo's driving, and that they were wearing their seatbelts.

Pathologist reports gave the cause of death for all four boys at drowning, with no other significant injuries.

North Wales Police collision investigator Ian Thompson said that records going back to 1994 showed no other serious collisions have taken place at the site.

He said the road was wet, but did not believe it would have had much of an impact on Hugo's loss of control of the car. He accepted speed could have been a factor.

His colleague Phillip Jones said the Fiesta's rear tyres were under-inflated considering four people were travelling in the car.

The speed limit was 60mph, although Mr Jones said the maximum speed for the corner calculated would be around 38mph.

Andrew Gregson, senior traffic engineer for Gwynedd Council, said the 60mph limit is "not a target speed", and was asked whether there should have been "slow" signs on the corner by the coroner.

He said "this is a subjective decision," and that in his opinion the road sign warning the bend was ahead was sufficient.

He added that no other fatal or serious injury collisions had happened at the location going back to 1993, according to the council's records.

Chevrons have been put in place on the road since the tragic deaths, but some of the families questioned whether a guardrail or fencing could have prevented the car going into the water-filled ditch and subsequently not being found for a long time.

Mrs Sanderson said: "My main concern is my son died in this crash. We went to the scene the day after the boys died.

"It's too late for Wilf and his friends, but it's not beyond the realms of possibility that it could happen again."

Kate Robertson, senior coroner for North West Wales, found the signage warning at the bend was not adequate. She recorded a conclusion of road traffic collision.

She said: "At the time [of the crash] it was raining heavily and there were leaves on the road.

"The water level in the ditch had risen by a metre in the days prior. There was no 'slow' sign painted on the road. There were no identifiable pre-collision defects to the vehicle.

"There is no evidence that [Hugo] was using his phone.

"The rear wheels were under-inflated but that is not considered to have been a contributing factor."

The coroner, who had visited the site of the crash herself, also 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”.

Recording a conclusion the boys had died by road traffic collision, she 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 will prepare "prevention of future death" reports to the Department of Transport and the DVLA about her concerns over young and newly qualified drivers carrying passengers, and to Gwynedd Council and the landowner about whether fencing or guard rails are needed at the site.

"I would like to thank the families for their cooperation. What has been apparent to me is that each of the young men were bright, loved by all their families and friends and will be so sorely missed."

Tributes were read at the beginning of proceedings from each of the families of the boys.

Mrs Sanderson, Wilf's mum, said his older sisters were "so excited" to have a baby brother when he was born, and they spent hours playing with him and teasing him about his red hair.

"He loved his food and would eat anything you put in front of him," she added.

She said he went to Oxon Primary School in Shrewsbury and was studying at Shrewsbury College's sixth form.

He had recently passed his driving theory test and used to enjoy practising the martial art aikido.

"He loved animals" she added, and said he had a hedgehog, a corn snake and cockroaches.

He worked at Clarks shoe shop as well as pot washing in a restaurant.

"He was a loving boy, liked by everyone he met. We were blessed to have him for 17 years.

"We will spend the rest of our lives loving and missing him."

Jevon's family said he was educated at Woodfield Infants School in Shrewsbury and later Meole Brace Secondary School, as well as Shrewsbury Sixth Form.

He said Jevon "loved visiting his grandfather" and the outdoors.

Hugo's family said he was at sixth form, worked at Pret in Shrewsbury town centre and loved his husky dog.

"He had a thirst for life," they said. "He was outgoing and friendly.

"He had fallen in love with North Wales. Just before leaving he finished work and played tennis with his brother's friend. He was looking forward to the weekend.

"We take comfort in hearing about the great many lives he has benefited."

Crystal Owen, Harvey's mum, shed tears as her statement was read by the coroner.

In it, she said: "Something you never expect to do as a parent is to do a statement to sum up the life of your child.

"He was perfect from the moment he came into this world."

She said his little sisters Sophia and Olivia "idolised" him, and miss him.

"He had the biggest, warmest smile," she added, "and such a positive energy. He always had a soft spot for people who struggled to fit in.

"He had everything to live for."

She said he had a range of hobbies growing up including skateboarding and BMX, as well as playing the guitar, and would spend hours practising.

Crystal also said Harvey was thinking about one day launching his own cafe, or maybe getting a pizza van to take to festivals to sell his food.

"I was incredibly privileged to call him my son."