Teenager died of his injuries from crash, inquest told
A teenager died and his girlfriend was badly injured when the car they were travelling in veered into the path of another vehicle, an inquest has heard.
Wolves fan Callum Haskew, 19, formerly of Newport, died at the scene of the crash on the B5405 Great Bridgeford to Woodseaves Road at Lawnhead, near Eccleshall, on February 20. He suffered serious chest injuries and severe bleeding.
His girlfriend was at the wheel of her father's Vauxhall Agila which was involved in the smash with a Toyota Avensis. No action has been taken against her and the inquest was told she was not driving too fast.
Mr Haskew had recently moved to Daventry in Northamptonshire.
His girlfriend Natasha Loewendahl, 20, had been to visit him there. They were on their way to her mother's home, in Woodseaves, when the crash happened at about 4.30pm.
But she told the inquest she had no recollection of the collision or the moments leading up to it.
In her police statement read out at the hearing, she stated: "I turned left towards Woodseaves. I don't remember anything from that point. The next thing I remembered was waking up in hospital – days after the accident."
The hearing was told Miss Loewendahl, of Newport, suffered neck fractures, a collapsed lung and pelvic injuries in the crash that happened as she tried to negotiate a left hand bend.
In his statement read out at the inquest lorry driver Terence White, of Gnosall, who was in front of the Toyota, said he saw the Vauxhall travelling close to the verge and noticed that the "front wheels had locked".
He said the small car was not being driven at excessive speed, but was too close to the bend.
"The female tried to correct her position, but over steered causing the car to veer to the wrong side of the road into the path of the other car," Mr White stated.
Sgt Ian Tanner, of Staffordshire Police collision investigation unit, told the hearing held in Cannock that following an investigation the Crown Prosecution Service had applied its public interest test and decided not to take any action against Miss Loewendahl.
South Staffordshire Coroner Mr Andrew Haigh recorded that Mr Haskew died as a result of a road traffic collision.After his death his parents Jen and Anthony decided to back the Wolves Community Trust charity in his memory.
Toyota driver Mark Knowles, 57, of Sheffield, suffered minor injuries in the crash.
