UK
Gwynedd crash: Concerns about new drivers carrying passengers after teens’ deaths
A coroner has raised concerns about newly-qualified drivers carrying passengers after four teenagers were killed in a crash in North Wales.
Hugo Morris, 18, lost control of his silver Ford Fiesta on the A4085 in the village of Garreg, Gwynedd, on 19 November last year, before the vehicle rolled into a ditch.
He was on a camping trip to Snowdonia with Jevon Hirst, 16, Harvey Owen, 17, and Wilf Fitchett, 17 – all from the Shropshire area.
An inquest into their deaths was held in Caernarfon on Wednesday.
Mr Morris, who had passed his driving test just over six months previously, was described by his family as having had a “thirst for life”.
Crystal Owen, Harvey’s mother, has since campaigned for the introduction of graduated diriving licences for new drivers.
Harvey Owen with his mum, Crystal. Pic: Crystal Owen
Dr Anton van Dellen, representing Mr Owen’s family, said the coroner should consider making a report for the prevention of future deaths.
Kate Robertson, senior coroner for north west Wales, said she would write to the Department for Transport and the DVLA to raise her concerns.
She was concerned that deaths would continue to occur where “young, newly-qualified drivers are permitted to carry passengers”.
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Speaking outside the court, Ms Owen said she was “very happy” with the inquest’s outcome.
But she said the government still needed to act and that her son was “let down by an outdated driving licence system”.
The Department for Transport has previously said there are “no plans to introduce tougher restrictions on new drivers” but it is keeping licensing requirements “under review”.
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The coroner recorded a conclusion of road traffic collision and said “all four young men would have died very soon following the collision”.
The post-mortem found they died by drowning.