Man, 18, died in 100mph crash on M18 in car driven by brother

BBC News

4 days ago

A teenager was killed in a motorway crash after a car driven by his brother spun out of control and hit a tree, an inquest has heard.Patrick Mongan, 18, and his sibling John, 19, were travelling in an Audi when it collided with the central reservation of the M18 between Doncaster and Rotherham in the early hours of 7 September 2024.The hearing at Doncaster Coroner's Court was told that the vehicle hit a mound of grass and was "launched" off the verge and into woodland, landing 42 metres away.The Audi was travelling at around 100mph and both men were thrown from the car. Patrick died instantly while John remains in hospital and has undergone several brain surgeries.
The brothers were from Cottenham in Cambridgeshire but had been at a pub in the Doncaster area before the crash.The inquest heard that John's condition remains serious and he has not been told of Patrick's death.South Yorkshire Police forensic collision investigator Steven Gardner said trees struck by the car had been "snapped in half" by the force of the impact.He added: "The car was a complete and utter wreck. It was airborne for a long time through those trees."
Mr Gardner said that the Audi approached a car in front of it in the fast lane as it was overtaking a lorry.The brothers' car closed the gap between the two quickly, and as the slower car moved left after passing the HGV, the Audi swerved right to avoid hitting it.The driver lost control when the car clipped the mound on the central reservation.He said the manner of driving was the "sole causation" of the crash, although the hillock also posed a hazard.The Driving Standards Agency (DVSA) is also investigating the Audi's MOT provider as the airbags, seat belt pretensioners and rollover bar were all defective despite the vehicle having a valid MOT certificate.
Knotted seatbelts
The seat belts had knots tied in them, and neither brother had been wearing one, the inquest was told.Mr Gardner said he was "alarmed" the car had passed its MOT and, although the failed safety features did not contribute to the collision, he said they may have influenced the severity of the injuries the men suffered.Evidence was also given by PC Natalie Booler, who said the Mongans had been involved in an altercation with a group at The Mason's Arms less than an hour before the crash.The officer said the pair were "shouting things to the group, unprovoked" in the pub car park, left, then came back again and tried to pull one of the men into the Audi.After blows were exchanged in an incident which was captured on CCTV, the brothers got back into the vehicle with John driving.Earlier in the night, Patrick had been driving when they had made off from a petrol station without paying.PC Booler said she could not say whether or not they had swapped places in the driver's seat after leaving the pub but before the crash.Mr Gardner said this would have been "highly unlikely" as the distance covered by the Audi in a matter of minutes would have been unreasonable if factoring in a stop.
The brothers' sister described Patrick as "happy-go-lucky, cheerful and upbeat" and said he had been close to John.Senior coroner Nicola Mundy said that she was satisfied John had been the driver at the time of the collision.She ordered a Prevention of Future Deaths report into the presence of the mound of earth on the central reservation, pointing out that a "similar scenario" would unfold if another driver struck it at a lower speed.Ms Mundy recorded a conclusion of death caused by chest injuries in a road traffic accident.
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