Inquest opens into death of dyke victim

THE MAN who died after the car he was in veered off a North Yorkshire road and landed in a channel of water has been named as Luke Clarke.

The 21-year-old was in a green Renault Clio which came off the B1222, near Sherburn-in-Elmet, and landed in Bishop Dyke.

It happened at around 10.30pm on Monday, December 27, last year.

An inquest, opened in Northallerton, heard the self-employed joiner who lived in the village of Goldthorpe, near Barnsley, was pronounced dead at the scene, at 12.12am the following day.

At the hearing, Catherine Cundy, Area Coroner for North Yorkshire, said: “The provisional cause of death is yet to be ascertained.”

Mr Clarke was identified by his father at York Mortuary on December 29.

Ms Cundy adjourned the inquest while the investigation continues and said a date for the next hearing will be set in the coming months.

Another man, who is in his 20s, was in the Renault Clio when it crashed. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries but survived.

North Yorkshire Police closed the road for several hours to investigate the collision and the force has been appealing for witnesses and information.

Speaking in December, a police spokesman said: “Officers are appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time of collision or saw a green Renault Clio travelling towards Sherburn-in-Elmet in the minutes leading up to the incident and to anyone who witnessed or passed the incident, to contact them, particularly if they saw this vehicle with any other vehicles or any other vehicles around this area at this time.