A YOUNG Kidderminster man died as a result of an accident after the driver of the vehicle he was travelling in “simply lost control.”

Sam Cook, of Hawfinch Rise, in Spennells, died following a three-car crash on the A448, Bromsgrove Road on Wednesday, November 21 at about 11.30pm.

An inquest yesterday was told that the 19-year-old, who worked in the bakery at Sainsbury’s in Kidderminster, had been a passenger in his friend Ryan Wilson’s Vauxhall Corsa when the accident occurred.

Mr Cook and Mr Wilson had met some friends earlier in the evening and had left them to go on a drive to get petrol.

They were travelling along the A448 from Kidderminster to Stone when Mr Wilson “felt the car slide” and tried to correct it.

Mr Wilson said: “We were having a general discussion about his birthday that was coming up, we were just going on a general drive and that’s when it all happened.

“The road was soaking wet as we were coming round the left hand corner and I felt the car slide. It pulled me to the kerb. I couldn’t stop it. I felt the car overturn. It was just a blur.”

Two other cars, a Mitsubishi and a Mercedes, were involved in the crash as they attempted to avoid the “out of control” Corsa.

Worcestershire deputy coroner Marguerite Elcock told Worcestershire Coroner’s Court yesterday that Mr Cook had died at the scene due to “multiple injuries” as a result of an accident.

A report by specialist road traffic officer David Reece said that Mr Wilson had “simply lost control” of his vehicle as there were no mechanical defects, no road defects or adverse weather conditions.

The report added that Mr Cook was thrown from the car while it was rotating through a rear hatch window, despite wearing a seatbelt.

Mr Reece said he was unable to conclude what speed the Corsa was travelling at on the national speed limit road, although it “would not be unreasonable to suggest” it was about 60mph.

Witness Paul Gripton, who had been driving behind the Corsa in his Mitsubishi, said he saw “nothing unusual” about the manner in which it was being driven.

He lost sight of the Corsa before a bend and the next time he saw the car, it was spinning.

He said: “It was out of control. I decided to try and take evasive action. The best action I thought at the time was to get my car out of the way. I swerved right and tried to put my car in the ditch.”

After colliding with a Mercedes being driven in the opposite direction, Mr Gripton assisted Mr Cook and attempted CPR before emergency services arrived.