Market Drayton graduate died after losing control of car
A young Shropshire graduate with a promising future in pub management died after losing control of his car in wet and slippery conditions, a coroner has ruled.
Thomas Chevins, 23, of Buntingsdale Road, Market Drayton, had only had his red BMW for just over a month when it left the A53 near the town and struck a tree just after 1am on December 28.
His mother had bought the car for him because she was worried for his safety as he travelled to and from work on his bike.
An inquest, held at Coroner's Chambers, in Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent yesterday, heard Mr Chevins lost control as he travelled home near Loggerheads.
He had been working at The Royal Oak in Eccleshall where he was a barman.
Mr Chevins, a University of York graduate and keen hockey player for Market Drayton Town, was on a traineeship with Joule's Brewery and was expected to move into a management role in Market Drayton.
Crash investigator Nigel Power, from West Midlands Police, told the inquest Mr Chevins was driving in rain and strong winds on a road that "does not have a large margin of error".
He said it was likely the young man lost control of his car and then overcompensated with the steering wheel, forcing the vehicle to skid sideways up a hedge and into a mature tree which subsequently collapsed.
He said there were three possible reasons for the accident, including that one tyre was below the legal traction level required and that two others also had limited tread.
He said: "One possibility is that Thomas was driving too fast because although the speed limit of the road was a national speed limit of 60mph, in those conditions that speed may not have been suitable.
"Another possibility is that he was an inexperienced driver.
"He had only owned the car for 42 days. It was a rear wheel drive car and he had been used to driving a front wheel drive car.
"Thirdly, the lack of tread on three tyres would have reduced the amount of grip he had. The lack of tread means the tyres could not properly displace the water on the road."
PC Power confirmed no evidence was found that Mr Chevins was speeding. It was also confirmed he was not using a mobile phone.
Thomas' mother, Heather Chevins, said she had only recently bought her son the car because he had been cycling from Market Drayton to Eccleshall and she was concerned for his safety.
