Teenage boy, 17, died when he lost control of his car just days after passing driving test, inquest hears
A teenage boy died after losing control of his car on a rural road just days after passing his driving test, an inquest heard.
Archie Harris, 17, lost control of the vehicle while driving too fast on a bend on the A3071 near his home in Holsworthy, Devon.
His Ford Fiesta left the road, hit a tree and fell nose-first into a gully at Blakea Bridge near Beaworthy.
Archie was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the May 26 incident; just 11 days after the teenager received his driver’s license.
The former Holsworthy primary and secondary school pupil was described by his parents as the ‘life and soul’ of any gathering and his death has left a ‘massive void’ in the lives of his family and friends.
The inquest into his death, held in Exeter, heard that Archie met friends in the Memorial Hall car park in Holsworthy on the day he died.
He then traveled in a three-car convoy along the A3072 to The Bickford Arms, a few miles away.
The group played billiards in the bar before leaving shortly before 4pm; Archie’s car was the last car in the convoy.
Archie Harris (pictured) died after losing control of his car on a rural road just days after passing his driving test
One of Archie’s friends said he was ‘very excited’ about getting his license and being free.
During the investigation, eyewitnesses who were driving on the road the same day and traveling in the opposite direction said they saw cars driving ‘carelessly’ at speed around a bend.
It is possible that Archie was exceeding the 60 mph speed limit at the time of the accident.
An eyewitness who saw the incident said that the third vehicle, driven by Archie, was a few seconds behind the others and went off the road as it rounded the bend, then rolled and landed in a roadside stream.
The witness then pulled over and called 999.
Emergency services arrived at the scene and found Archie had been removed from the vehicle.
Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead at the scene at 16.39.
An autopsy revealed that Archie died from multiple injuries, but there was no alcohol in his system.
Archie’s Ford Fiesta left the road, hit a tree and landed nose down in a stream at Blakea Bridge (pictured)
The inquest heard Archie’s friends stood aside when they realized he was no longer behind them but could not locate him. The police only realized he had an accident when they blocked the road.
Crash investigators who submitted a report to the coroner noted that there were no defects in Archie’s car or any weather-related problems.
Coroner Alison Longhorn concluded Archie was traveling more than 80 miles per hour without a seatbelt when he lost traction and spun out of control.
He recorded his death as a result of a traffic accident.
Members of Archie’s family who attended the hearing thanked emergency services and those who supported them during his tragic death.
His mother, Georgina, said in a statement that Archie, who worked as a construction worker, enjoyed joking with his friends and was “confident in abundance” and “cool enough to get it done”.
He said: ‘He was always polite and talked to everyone.’ ‘He had no shame and had a large friendship group.
‘This has left his family and friends with a huge void. He was such a great character that he put his heart in his pocket. We now have to learn to live with the emptiness this brings.
‘Unfortunately, traffic deaths continue to occur. There will always be people in our situation who struggle with the aftermath.
‘One day a solution may be found so no one will have to go through what we went through.’
