Fatal crash on A20 near Farningham which killed two Tonbridge friends was ‘unavoidable’, inquest hears
A fatal crash which killed two young friends was “unavoidable” after a driver lost control of a car on a bend, an inquest has heard.
Jake Green and Alfie Green were travelling along the A20 Main Road near Farningham when the red Ford Escort they were in lost control and veered into the wrong lane.
The passenger side of the vehicle, where Alfie was sitting, collided directly with an oncoming silver Ford panel van. Both the young men died at the scene.
An inquest held in Maidstone on Wednesday heard how Jake Green was driving the Ford Escort which had been loaned to him by his work boss to get the pair to and from work in West Kingsdown.
Jake wasn’t insured to drive it and only had a provisional licence.
Evidence from PC Sara Capozzi heard how the driver of the silver Ford van saw the red car come around a bend at speed and lose control.
The driver, who was with his son, said the car was doing “around 70-80mph” and was like “a bat out of hell”. The speed limit for the road is 40mph.
After the collision, which happened at around 4pm on Monday, July 31, members of the public and an off-duty police officer stopped to help.
Nothing could be done to save the workmates. Jake Green’s cause of death was given as catastrophic chest injuries and cocaine and cannabis use. While Alfie Green’s cause of death was given as massive head trauma.
Forensic Collision Investigator Helen Waghorn told the hearing the tread depth of the front left tyre wasn’t at the required level and part of a coil spring in the brakes was broken – both would have led to a failed MOT, but didn’t contribute to the crash.
Both police staff concluded their reports by saying the crash was the fault of the Ford Escort driver and once Jake lost control of the car the collision was “unavoidable”.
Coroner Roger Hatch ruled both the deaths were a result of a road traffic collision. He said Alfie was “completely blameless” in the crash as the passenger, and passed his condolences to both families.
Alfie was previously described by his twin sister Claudia, who attended the inquest along with dozens of friends and family, as a “beautiful, amazing, respectful, loving and kind-hearted king”.
She added: “My brother had the most beautiful smile, and such a funny laugh. He was my best friend, my twin, my everything and my brother got taken from us because of this cruel sick world we live in.
“My brother was only 20 and was just starting his life. He was the light in our lives and now all there is, is just darkness.
“Alf was our rock. He made us smile and laugh every single day.
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“We are all so broken without him our hearts will never heal again. My brother didn’t deserve this. We will always be together. We all love you forever.”
Jake’s brother Ashley Green, who attended the hearing with his parents, described his younger brother as “handsome, young and cheeky”.
He said: “Our boy Jake got taken well too soon. He deserves the best send-off we can give him. RIP lil bro and Alfie Green. Sleep tight boys, fly high.”
Thousands of pounds were raised in memory of the pair after their tragic deaths, as well as a plea to help bring Alfie’s father from Albania into the country for his funeral.
His father, Klodjan Gjoka, lives in the country’s capital city of Tirana and had his request for a visa to visit the UK denied by the Home Office because he had previously entered the country illegally.
References
- ^ For more information on how we can report on inquests, click here. (www.ipso.co.uk)