A 20-YEAR-OLD man who died after crashing his car in to a tree was speeding at the time, an inquest has heard.

York coroner's court heard how Simon Mark Lowery, of Dennison Road, Pocklington, was on his way home from work at York Mailing Ltd at Elvington when his car left the road and hit a tree on January 16 last year.

An inquest at New Earswick Folk Hall yesterday heard Mr Lowery had been driving his Nissan Primera at 45mph in a 40mph zone through Elvington village when the accident happened on a winding section of the B1228.

Mr Lowery's uncle and work colleague, Nicholas Dyer said they both clocked off work at 6am before going home to Pocklington in separate cars along the single carriageway road, with Mr Dyer driving ahead of his nephew.

Mr Dyer said: "I was getting on for 70mph I presume and Simon would have been doing roughly the same because he would have followed me home.

"I was starting going round a right hand bend when I saw Simon's headlights just turn to the right and I new there wasn't a turning there so I stopped and went back."

Mr Lowery had suffered serious head injuries and was unconscious when paramedics arrived.

Tests at Leeds General Infirmary revealed his injuries, including contusions on his brain and a fractured skull, were inoperable and he died in hospital on January 20.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, York Coroner, Donald Coverdale, said speed "must have been a significant factor" in the accident.

Updated: 10:36 Thursday, August 05, 2004