A PAIR of York teenagers who died when their high-powered car ploughed into a wall created their own deadly recipe for disaster.

When Christopher Loft, 17, climbed behind the wheel of best friend Sean Smith's Vauxhall Astra, he could not have suspected the fate he had sealed for them both.

But, as a York inquest heard, from that moment on, death was almost unavoidable.

Horrified witnesses described how they saw the pair reaching speeds of about 70mph as they raced along a 30mph stretch of New Lane, Huntington, York, last May.

Then, as learner-driver Christopher, of Charlton Street, swerved to avoid a skip stationed in the road, he lost control, careered across a garden and ploughed into a wall.

The York Coroner, Donald Coverdale, was told how the impact was so great, the wall was completely demolished, an entire building was knocked off its foundations and the width of the car was reduced by one third.

Investigations later revealed Christopher, a steel worker, had drunk the equivalent of nine tots of whisky before taking control of the 1800cc vehicle, which had only just failed a routine police inspection due to severely balding and badly-inflated tyres.

According to accident investigator Pc Michael Natt, these crucial elements would combine to kill the car's young occupants.

"The accident occurred when a young, inexperienced driver was allowed to take control of a powerful motor car with defects.

"The speed and the manner of driving must be the primary factor in this accident," he said.

Hearing how Christopher and Sean, 18, a production worker of Fairfax Street, York, were also not wearing seat belts, Mr Coverdale said the smash could not be blamed on an insufficiently-lluminated skip.

He said: "The skip would have been visible, unfortunately Mr Loft did not see it until it was too late to avoid it without a disaster.

"All these factors have together presented a very sad situation. So sad for the families and these young men.

"But when put together - speed, lack of judgement, a powerful car being driven by a young man who may not have had much experience - led to a double fatal accident.

"The verdict here has to be accidental death."

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