An 18-year-old driver who perished alongside a passenger when his vehicle entered a river had been travelling at approximately 90mph (145km/h) in the moments leading up to the collision, according to evidence presented at an inquest. Declan Berry was operating a blue Volkswagen Polo carrying four companions along North Brink on 17 March when the vehicle left the roadway and plunged into the River Nene near Wisbech in Cambridgeshire. His remains were located in the water fourteen days after the incident.
At the inquest proceedings, coroner Elizabeth Gray determined that Berry's death resulted from drowning following a road traffic accident. According to regional news coverage, Gray concluded that the road's deteriorated condition, including a substantial pothole, represented a significant contributing element, though excessive velocity constituted the primary factor in the collision.
One of the three survivors, an 18-year-old male seated in the front passenger position, provided a statement that was presented to the court in Huntingdon. He recounted that Berry had been operating the vehicle at roughly 90mph moments before the crash occurred. When this passenger requested that Berry reduce his speed, Berry responded by saying
we will be fine. The posted speed restriction for that section of North Brink is 60mph.
The front seat passenger explained that the group of five had spent time at a gymnasium and subsequently visited a McDonald's restaurant before the collision took place. He noted that Berry had been discussing plans to modify his vehicle and indicated to the hearing that he believed Berry
intended to show offduring that evening's drive.
A second passenger recalled experiencing
a thudwhich she initially believed might have been a pothole. She then heard Berry swearing before the vehicle struck the grass embankment. The third female passenger characterised the atmosphere inside the car immediately following impact as
eerie.
The vehicle entered the water at North Brink at approximately 20:20 GMT on 17 March. Three occupants survived the incident: an 18-year-old male and two 16-year-old females. However, 16-year-old Eden Bunn, believed to have been positioned in the rear of the vehicle, did not survive. Divers recovered her body at around 15:00 on 18 March. Berry's body was discovered in the river on 31 March.
According to court records, Berry held three penalty points on his driving licence for previous speeding offences. Police documentation noted that the condition of the roadway had also partially contributed to the incident.
A forensic examination conducted following the crash determined that Berry had likely struck a pothole after the vehicle
negotiated a right-hand bend, but that
no mechanical defect contributed to loss of control.
In her closing remarks, Gray stated that Berry had been
driving at an excessive and inappropriate speed, with the
unsatisfactory condition of the road more than minimally contributingto the crash. According to reporting on the inquest findings, Gray emphasised that the combination of excessive speed and road defects created the circumstances that led to the tragedy.
A nearby resident, Thomas Bilverstone, who was at home during the incident, provided written evidence to the inquest. He described hearing
a loud impactand observing the car
rolling through the air. He heard
multiple people screamingand immediately contacted emergency services before rushing to assist the survivors, one of whom was
clinging to vegetation.
What happens next?
An inquest into the death of Eden Bunn is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, according to the coroner's office.
