Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Student in fatal crash was over alcohol limit
A former Canterbury schoolboy was more than double the drink drive limit when he crashed into a tree and died, an inquest has heard.
Owain Boughtwood, 21, was thought to be on his way to see his girlfriend after a night out with an ex-classmate when he made the “impulsive” decision to get behind the wheel of his mother’s VW Polo.
The talented sportsman suffered fatal head injuries when he lost control of the car on the Sandwich Road between Nonington and Chillenden.
Accident investigator PC Dave Burley told the inquest the car wheels had drifted onto a soft nearside verge.
He believed Owain had “overcorrected” the steering when he attempted to get back onto the road, causing the car to spin into a tree.
Ex- Barton Court schoolboy Owain was taken to Ashford’s William Harvey Hospital before being transferred to a specialist head trauma unit at King’s College Hospital in London.
His father, company director Andrew Boughtwood, told the hearing how police had called at the family home in Womenswold in the early hours to tell them Owain had been seriously injured in a crash.
He and Owain’s mother, Helen, followed the ambulance to London as their son was transferred.
Mr Boughtwood said: “Staff were keeping him alive and at some stage it became evident he did not have long to live.
“A consultant told us he had suffered irreparable brain damage and it was agreed to stop his life support.”
Asked by assistant coroner Scott Matthewson about
his son’s driving habits, Mr Boughtwood described him as a “very good driver” who was “bright, articulate, caring and compassionate”.
He said he was a typical 21-year-old who enjoyed partying, but said: “He’d never drink and drive. It was very out of character. He always got a taxi or lift.”
Tests revealed Owain had 210 milligrams of alcohol in 100ml of his blood. The legal limit is 80.
Another crash investigator, PC Mick Sawyer, said the level would have “undoubtedly impaired” Owain’s driving, especially his judgement and reactions.
He said there were no other factors which could explain the loss of control.
Schoolfriend Lewis Fitchie, of Tankerton Road, told the inquest he and Owain had been catching up during a night out in Whitstable following Owain’s return from Cali- fornia, where he was studying at university.
He said Owain had drunk three bottles of beer, one pint and a Jack Daniels, with the intention always to stay at Mr Fitchie’s home.
“It was never on the cards that he was going to drive,” Mr Fitchie said. “He had never done that before after drinking.”
But he added Owain had “got it into his head” that he would go to his girlfriend’s house instead because the couple had a fishing trip planned early the next day.
Recording that Owain’s death last June had been an accident, assistant coroner Mr Matthewson described it as a “heartbreaking case”.
“He was a bright young man with the world at his feet,” he said.
“It’s impossible to know why he decided to get into a car at that time. He had never driven before under the influence as far as anyone is aware and the decision was obviously completely out of character.
“He was looking forward to going on a fishing trip with his girlfriend the following day.
“I find that he made an impulsive decision to get into his car at a time his judgement was probably impaired.”