Coroner’s praise for crash blaze heroes

Lawrence Stevens died from multiple injuries after crashing with an oncoming car on the A27.

Motorists following him watched in horror as his Peugeot 106 burst into flames, and heroically tried to douse the blaze with fire extinguishers from The White Swan Hotel nearby.

Mr Stevens, 21, was driving home to Jarvis Road, from football training with Barnham reserves in Westergate on February 10, at 9.20pm.

A crash investigator told the inquest into his death, held at Chichester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, there were no defects with his car and that he was not travelling above the speed limit.

His car went into the opposite lane in a diagonal motion and was hit side-on by 24-year-old Hannah Smith’s Peugeot 206.

She suffered minor bumps and bruises.

Benjamin Rowe and his friends were commended by the coroner for trying to save Mr Stevens.

Mr Rowe was driving behind him at the time of the accident.

“We got out of the car and it was at that point the fire started,” he said.

They went to see if they could help, and decided to get some fire extinguishers from The White Swan. “By the time we got back it had developed into a bigger blaze,” he said.

“There was a fireman off duty who was trying to help. He said we were endangering ourselves by helping.

“I refused to listen to him in the heat of the moment, and it was at that point we approached the passenger door – I think by that time it had melted.

“We could not open the door.

“The fireman told us to get back because it was getting worse. We had used three or four fire extinguishers to no effect.”

Miss Smith was on her way home from a trampolining session in Worthing when the accident happened.

She said: “I was travelling up the road and the next thing I knew, the passenger side of a car was coming towards me.

“We came to a stop. It was all very surreal – there was some smoke and hissing.

“I was trying to get myself out to help the other person, but I couldn’t undo my seatbelt.

“So I sat in my car and dialled 999, at which point his car caught alight.

“I managed to get my seatbelt off but I couldn’t get out of my car door.”

Miss Smith managed to kick her door open, and then was helped to the kerbside by another motorist.

Mr Stevens’ mum Wendy said in a statement read out at the inquest: “He was a normal, fit and healthy lad, went to the gym and football training.

“On Tuesday 10th, he went to work as usual and after work got back home at 6pm. I made supper for him, and he wanted to go to his room and chill out.

“At about 8pm he said goodbye – he was going out to his usual football practice.

“He would always return home about 9.30pm.”

Forensic crash investigator PC Andy Slark concluded Mr Stevens must have lost control as he came around the bend because of excessive or harsh steering. During the collision Mr Stevens’ car fuel line, or tank, ruptured, and the escaping fuel was ignited by a heat source likely to be the exhaust pipe.

West Sussex deputy coroner Martin Milward recorded a verdict of accidental death.

“It’s apparent from the evidence that Lawrence’s motor car failed to manage the sweeping right-hand bend,” he said.

“He’s lost control, as a result crossing to the other side of the road. I conclude Lawrence’s tragic death was accidental.”