Latest news with #CameronWalsh
Sky News
3 hours ago
- Sky News
Father and son drowned during test drive after Mercedes plunged into canal, inquest told
A father and son drowned after a Mercedes they were test driving hit a telegraph pole and plunged into a canal, an inquest has been told. Footballer Cameron Walsh, 16, was messaging his friends minutes before the car entered the Louth Canal, in Tetney near Grimsby, Greater Lincolnshire Coroner's Court heard. His father, David Walsh, 40, was believed to have been driving the vehicle. A witness who saw the blue Mercedes GLC 300 said it performed a "snaking action" and assumed the driver was "trying to gain control", the inquest heard. Roberta Smith, who called 999, added that the vehicle "flew off the road and into the canal" and appeared to be "airborne" before it landed "roof first" in the water. Another witness described seeing a blue car being driven "erratically and at speed". The inquest heard emergency services were called at 1.38pm on 6 January 2024. Fire crews had to smash a window to gain access to the locked car, which had been collected from a Mercedes dealership. But by that point the pair had been in the water for up to 45 minutes, the inquest was told. They were pronounced dead at 2.58pm. The cause of death for both was recorded as drowning. Assistant coroner for Greater Lincolnshire, Marianne Johnson, concluded that it was likely David Walsh was driving and the pair died in a road traffic collision. She added that she would file a prevention of future deaths report, designed to ensure authorities act on issues uncovered during an inquest. The inquest, attended by friends and relatives of the pair, also heard there were no mechanical defects likely to have contributed to the crash. Forensic collision investigator PC Nick Prestwich told the hearing that "the collision occurred partly due to the manner of driving". Speaking about CCTV footage of the car on Tetney Lock Road, Tetney, PC Prestwich said: "You can see that vehicle is swerving around on the road surface. It's my belief the car was driven too fast for the road conditions." The inquest also heard Cameron Walsh messaged his girlfriend saying that the car was "banging". He also sent a picture of himself inside the vehicle to a friend via Snapchat one minute before it is believed to have entered the canal. Tetney Lock Road was described to the inquest as a 60mph single-track road with "no road marks" and warning signs for an uneven surface. Richard Fenwick, an official from Lincolnshire County Council, said an inspection four days after the incident had identified no safety defects. A family statement, read to the inquest, described the father and son as "two beautiful people" who were "full of life". It added: "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." Cameron Walsh, who played for Grimsby Town Football Club, was called an "undeniable talent" and "much-loved figure" by the club in a tribute following his death.
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
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. 6 6 6 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'. 6 Air India sole survivor almost collapses with grief after carrying his brother's coffin at funeral 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." 6 6
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
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. 6 Grimsby Town youth team star Cameron Walsh, 16, and his father died in January last year Credit: Grimsby Town FC 6 Dad David Walsh also died in the accident Credit: PA 6 The inquest into their deaths opened on Wednesday Credit: MEN Media 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 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. Read more sports news 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. Most read in Sport Another witness described seeing a blue car being driven 'erratically and at speed'. 6 Cameron was a 'powerhouse' on the football field, his family said Credit: PA Air India sole survivor almost collapses with grief after carrying his brother's coffin at funeral 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 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." 6 The club paid tribute to Cameron in a statement Credit: Facebook 6 Flowers at the scene of the crash Credit: Grimsby Telegraph
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Grimsby Town footballer and his father drowned in canal after Mercedes they were test driving 'flew off the road' and became submerged upside down in water, inquest hears
A father and his teenage son drowned in a canal after a Mercedes they were test driving 'flew off the road' and entered the water upside down, an inquest was told. Grimsby Town youth team footballer Cameron Walsh, 16, and his father David, 40, had hired the car from a Mercedes dealership when it spun out of control in Tetney, near Grimsby, Lincs, on January 6 last year. It hit a telegraph pole before flipping onto its roof and becoming submerged in the canal, Greater Lincolnshire Coroner's Court heard. An inquest was told that Cameron had been messaging his friends about the car just minutes before it entered the canal running alongside Tetney Lock Road. Emergency services were called at 1.38pm, but Cameron and his father were pronounced dead at 2.58pm. The cause of death for the pair was recorded as drowning. Assistant coroner for Greater Lincolnshire Marianne Johnson concluded that the father and son died in a road traffic collision and said she would file a prevention of future deaths report. The inquest, attended by friends and relatives of the pair, heard that fire officers smashed a window in the locked car, but the father and son were in the water for a 'prolonged' period of time of up to 45 minutes. 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 was told. A statement by Roberta Smith, who made the 999 call, was read to the court in which she said the Mercedes 'flew off the road and into the canal' and it appeared to be 'airborne' before it landed 'roof first' in the water. Another witness described seeing a blue car being driven 'erratically and at speed', the coroner was told. The inquest heard that examination of the car found there were no mechanical defects which were likely to have contributed to the crash. Forensic collision investigator Pc Nick Prestwich told the inquest he cannot say definitively who was driving the car, but the inquest heard Mr Walsh was the only one insured on the vehicle. Pc Prestwich told the inquest: '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 of the car on Tetney Lock Road, Pc Prestwich said: '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 investigator said that if Cameron had been driving, his lack of driving experience would have 'exacerbated' the situation. The coroner concluded that on the balance of probabilities, Mr Walsh was driving the car at the time of the collision. Cameron messaged one of his friends on Snapchat with a picture of him inside the car before the friend replied 'Whose whip's that?', and the teenager sent his final message at 1.37pm – one minute before the car is believed to have entered the canal, the inquest heard. He also sent a message to his girlfriend at 1.25pm saying that the car his father hired was 'banging'. A statement from another friend, whom Cameron was also messaging about the car before the collision, was read to the court and said: '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 to the inquest as a 60mph single track road with 'no road marks' and an 'uneven' and 'undulating' surface. Richard Fenwick, head of highways, asset and local management services for Lincolnshire County Council, said Tetney Lock Road is inspected every three months, and the last inspection before the crash was completed in October 2023, in which there were 'no recorded safety defects'. Mr Fenwick added that an inspection four days after the incident also found no safety defects, but there are warning signs for an uneven road surface and 'patching' work was carried out in March of this year. He added that he believed the national speed limit was 'appropriate' for the road. Speaking on her decision to issue a prevention of future deaths report, the coroner said: 'It would be helpful if when there is a road traffic collision such as this, that the report from the police goes to the highways department rather than sits for a period of time before it is annually reviewed. That is something I am going to put into my regulation 28 report.' In a statement from the father and son's family they said they were 'two beautiful people' who were 'full of life'. The statement, read aloud by a member of coroner's court staff, 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, who played for Grimsby Town Football Club, as a 'powerhouse' on the football field. In a tribute after his death, 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.' The coroner said to the family members in court: 'I appreciate as a family this has been a very difficult time for you and you have my sympathies.'
The Independent
7 hours ago
- The Independent
Father and son drowned when Mercedes entered canal on test drive, inquest hears
A father and his teenage son drowned in a canal after a Mercedes they were test driving 'flew off the road' and hit a telegraph pole before becoming submerged upside down in the water, an inquest was told. Greater Lincolnshire Coroner's Court heard that footballer Cameron Walsh, 16, was messaging his friends about the car in the minutes before it entered the canal running along Tetney Lock Road, Tetney, near Grimsby, Lincolnshire, with his father David Walsh, 40, also in the vehicle. On Wednesday, the inquest was told emergency services were called at 1.38pm on January 6 last year before Cameron and his father were pronounced dead at 2.58pm and the cause of death for the pair was recorded as drowning. Assistant coroner for Greater Lincolnshire Marianne Johnson concluded that the father and son died in a road traffic collision and said she would file a prevention of future deaths report. The inquest, attended by friends and relatives of the pair, heard that fire officers smashed a window in the locked car, which had been hired from a Mercedes dealership, but the father and son were in the water for a 'prolonged' period of time of up to 45 minutes. 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 was told. A statement by Roberta Smith, who made the 999 call, was read to the court in which she said the Mercedes 'flew off the road and into the canal' and it appeared to be 'airborne' before it landed 'roof first' in the water. Another witness described seeing a blue car being driven 'erratically and at speed', the coroner was told. The inquest heard that examination of the car found there were no mechanical defects which were likely to have contributed to the crash. Forensic collision investigator Pc Nick Prestwich told the inquest he cannot say definitively who was driving the car, but the inquest heard Mr Walsh was the only one insured on the vehicle. Pc Prestwich told the inquest: '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 of the car on Tetney Lock Road, Pc Prestwich said: '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 investigator said that if Cameron had been driving, his lack of driving experience would have 'exacerbated' the situation. The coroner concluded that on the balance of probabilities, Mr Walsh was driving the car at the time of the collision. Cameron messaged one of his friends on Snapchat with a picture of him inside the car before the friend replied 'Whose whip's that?', and the teenager sent his final message at 1.37pm – one minute before the car is believed to have entered the canal, the inquest heard. He also sent a message to his girlfriend at 1.25pm saying that the car his father hired was 'banging'. A statement from another friend, whom Cameron was also messaging about the car before the collision, was read to the court and said: '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 to the inquest as a 60mph single track road with 'no road marks' and an 'uneven' and 'undulating' surface. Richard Fenwick, head of highways, asset and local management services for Lincolnshire County Council, said Tetney Lock Road is inspected every three months, and the last inspection before the crash was completed in October 2023, in which there were 'no recorded safety defects'. Mr Fenwick added that an inspection four days after the incident also found no safety defects, but there are warning signs for an uneven road surface and 'patching' work was carried out in March of this year. He added that he believed the national speed limit was 'appropriate' for the road. Speaking on her decision to issue a prevention of future deaths report, the coroner said: 'It would be helpful if when there is a road traffic collision such as this, that the report from the police goes to the highways department rather than sits for a period of time before it is annually reviewed. That is something I am going to put into my regulation 28 report.' In a statement from the father and son's family they said they were 'two beautiful people' who were 'full of life'. The statement, read aloud by a member of coroner's court staff, 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, who played for Grimsby Town Football Club, as a 'powerhouse' on the football field. In a tribute after his death, 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.' The coroner said to the family members in court: 'I appreciate as a family this has been a very difficult time for you and you have my sympathies.'
