Grimsby Town star, 16, and dad died after Mercedes went ‘airborne' before plunging into canal during tragic test drive
A GRIMSBY Town star and his dad died after the car they were test-driving flipped upside down into a canal.
Cameron Walsh, 16, and his dad David, 40, drowned after their Mercedes hit a pole and plunged into a canal at Tetney Lock, Lincolnshire, a court heard.
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The car 'flew off the road', struck a telegraph pole and then flipped upside down into the water, an inquest at Greater Lincolnshire Coroner's Court heard on Wednesday.
Emergency services rushed to the scene on January 6 last year, with fire officers smashing a window to get inside the locked car.
Cameron and David were trapped underwater for a "prolonged" period - up to 45 minutes - according to the inquest.
The pair were pronounced dead at the scene, with drowning recorded as the cause of death.
Just minutes before the horrific crash, it was revealed that Cameron was messaging his friends about the car - hired from a Mercedes dealership.
A woman who was driving along the road saw the blue Mercedes GLC 300 doing a 'snaking action' and she assumed the driver was 'trying to gain control', the coroner heard.
The statement of Roberta Smith, who made the 999 call, was read to the court.
She said the Mercedes 'flew off the road and into the canal', appearing to be 'airborne' before it landed 'roof first' in the water.
Another witness described seeing a blue car being driven 'erratically and at speed'.
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No mechanical defects were considered likely to have contributed to the crash, the inquest heard.
Forensic collision investigator Pc Nick Prestwich told the court that he cannot say definitively who was driving the car.
He said: 'The collision occurred partly due to the manner of driving of the vehicle across an undulating road, at which point the vehicle lost control and entered the verge adjacent to the canal.
'It then traversed across the grass verge before striking the telegraph pole, causing the vehicle to rotate. It carried on travelling into the canal.'
Speaking about CCTV footage, Pc Prestwich added: 'You can see that vehicle is swerving around on the road surface.
'It appeared to be travelling reasonably fast - whether that was in excess of the speed limit, I don't know. It's my belief the car was driven too fast for the road conditions.'
The coroner said it's most likely that Cameron was driving the car when the crash happened.
The teen was messaging his friends on Snapchat about the car - with one message event sent one minute before the car is believed to have entered the canal.
He also a message to his girlfriend saying that the car his father hired was 'banging'.
A statement from another friend of Cameron's read: 'I knew his parents were thinking about getting a new car. Cameron was messaging me about how much his dad liked the car they were test-driving.'
Tetney Lock Road was described as a 60mph single track road with 'no road marks' and an 'uneven' and 'undulating' surface.
Richard Fenwick, head of highways services for Lincolnshire County Council, said Tetney Lock Road is inspected every three months.
He said the last inspection before the crash - taking place in October 2023 - showed 'no recorded safety defects'.
Richard added that an inspection four days after the crash also found no safety defects - but 'patching' work was carried out in March of this year to make the road surface more event.
He said he believed the national speed limit was 'appropriate' for the road.
Assistant coroner for Greater Lincolnshire Marianne Johnson concluded that Cameron and David had died in a road traffic collision.
She added she would file a report to prevent future deaths.
In a statement read in court, the family said that Cameron and David were 'two beautiful people' who were 'full of life'.
They said: 'David was the most selfless person to grace the earth, his kindness was unheard of. He embraced his role as a father figure with unmatched warmth.
'Cameron's personality lit up the darkest of rooms. Cameron was a gentle giant. When you were with Cameron you always knew he was there.'
They described Cameron - a Grimsby Town youth player - as a 'powerhouse' on the football field.
In a tribute after the tragedy, Grimsby Town FC said: 'Cameron Walsh was an integral part of the GTFC academy. His passion for the game, coupled with his undeniable talent, made him a much-loved figure among teammates, coaches, and the entire Grimsby Town family."
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