Dafydd Huw Craven-Jones only had his driving licence for less than six months prior to the crash in Penkridge, Staffordshire, which killed him and passengers Morgan Jones and Sophie Bates
A teenage driver and two of his passengers died after he lost control of his car on a bridge and crashed into a tree, an inquest has heard.
Dafydd Huw Craven-Jones, 18, picked Morgan Jones, Sophie Bates and Brooke Varley, all 17, up from a house party in his Ford Ka to go for a drive. The driver lost control of his car “at speed” on a humpback bridge, mounted a grass verge and careered onto the other side of the road, hitting a tree.
The driver, Morgan and Sophie died in the collision, which happened in Penkridge, Staffordshire, at 11.47pm on May 25 last year. Their inquest on Wednesday heard Dafydd was not familiar with the area and was driving at an “inappropriate speed over the humped back bridge” on a 60mph rural lane.
But Dafydd, who suffered multiple injuries, had no drink or drugs in his system and there is no evidence he was using his phone at the time of the collision, the inquest was told.
Assistant coroner Kelly Dixon said she will issue a prevention of future deaths report to Staffordshire County Highways urging them to make improvements to the B5012 Cannock Road, where there had been three serious crashes on the same road since 2017, with another fatal crash occurring in January 2024.
Neither Sophie, from Stafford, nor Brooke, from Newport, Shropshire, were wearing seatbelts at the time of the collision on the 60mph road, while Morgan was wearing only the shoulder strap and was sitting on the lap belt in the front passenger seat.
Brooke survived the smash but was severely injured. The teenager told the inquest heard she “regrets” she did not put her seatbelt on when she got in Dafydd’s car because it was dark and she could not find it.
In a statement read out at the coroners court, Brooke described a “rollercoaster feeling in my tummy” before the car swerved and she blacked out. She had also felt “scared” Dafydd was driving too fast and had asked him to slow down.
Morgan, who suffered a severe head injury, and Dafydd were pronounced dead at the scene. Sophie died three days later at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham after suffering a traumatic brain injury.
In a statement read out at the inquest, Dafydd’s mother Paula Craven-Jones said she had been in the car with her son on a number of occasions since he passed his test and had no concerns about his driving ability.
His car had been correctly insured and had a full MOT, and there were no defects with the vehicle that contributed to the crash, Sergeant Richard Moors from Staffordshire Police said.
Recording their deaths as being the result of a road traffic collision, Ms Dixon said: “Dafydd suffered a loss of control, mounting the nearside verge before travelling to the opposite side of the road, colliding with an established tree. The driver’s side seat had been struck from behind by a rear seat passenger who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.
“At least one rear passenger was thrown forward into the driver’s seat. That impact is likely to have contributed to the extent of Dafydd’s injuries.
“The concern here is that I am aware that hazard reports have been submitted to Staffordshire County Highways in regards to this collision and another earlier fatal collision in January 2024.
“Consideration is being given to enhance signage and the road markings but no action has yet been taken. I will be issuing a prevention of future deaths report to Staffordshire County Highways in respect of my concerns.”
