THE tragic death of 21-year-old Army rifleman Jay Whiting along a road renowned for crashes in Plymouth has prompted a coroner to call for a detailed review into whether trees lining the road should be felled.
Jay was driving alone to McDonald's behind a friend's car in 'atrocious' wet and windy weather at around 2.10am on Saturday, January 7, 2023, along Embankment Road when he lost control of his vehicle and collided with a mature tree.
Jay, from Plymouth, was resuscitated at the scene and taken to Derriford Hospital, where he died later that day. The cause of his death was a severe head injury.
His inquest at Exeter Coroner's Court on November 14 began with the coroner playing a moving video of tributes submitted by Jay's family which showed he was a much-loved, immensely popular and fun-loving young and caring man who had his whole life to look forward to, and had already achieved many great things during his short lifetime, particularly in his career in the Army.
When the evidence began to be read, the driver of the car Jay was following told in a statement how in his car he had been travelling at a speed of up to 50mph along a northbound straight section of Embankment Road and described there being 'lots of puddles on the road" that were 'hard to make out' because it was dark and raining.
He recalled: "I went through a big puddle. It made the car jolt and vibrate as the wheels went through. I was able to keep control.
"Immediately after I looked in the rear view mirror and could not see Jay's lights any more." He added Jay had been travelling at a slower speed and said: "We were not racing or driving in a dangerous way." Neither Jay nor the driver of the other car were under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
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