Tragic Findon teen driver was not wearing seat belt

Factory worker Luke Lambourne, 19, of Horsham Road, Findon, had been driving for more than a year and was out with his friend Joshua Costello on the night of January 3 this year.

His mother, Denise, told the hearing, at Worthing Town Hall yesterday (Thursday, May 22) that Luke had told her he was going out in his Peugeot car.

But in the early hours of the following morning, police arrived at her home in Old Cottages, Findon, to tell her he was in hospital after being in an accident.

Mr Costello, of Paddock Way, Findon, told the inquest he and Luke had been friends since they attended St John the Baptist Primary School.

He said they met up in the village pub that night and Luke had one drink.

Luke then drove them around and eventually they ended up in Cissbury Ring car park.

Steamed up

They were texting a friend who Luke said owed him petrol money.

Luke apparently became angry when the friend said he was not going out that night.

"Luke drove off quickly down the lane," said Mr Costello.

"The windscreen was steamed up where we had been sitting in the car and he couldn't hardly see out of it.

"The lane is very narrow and I think he was doing about 40 to 50mph."

Mr Costello added: "He wasn't wearing a seat belt but I put mine on.

"He then clipped the verge and the car flipped over into a field.

"When I realised what had happened, I couldn't find Luke.

"I called for him and found him lying unconscious in the field about 20ft away. I called an ambulance and ran down the hill."

Hit verge

Police collision investigator PC Simon Lane told the hearing Luke was thrown from the car when it rolled over after hitting a verge and a fence before it finally righted itself in the field.

He was not wearing a seatbelt and the car was travelling at speed.

His vision was impaired by the misty windscreen and the lane was narrow, dark and muddy.

Luke died five days after the accident in hospital after being left in a coma.

Many of his 11 brothers and sisters were by his side, along with Denise and Luke's father Murray, when he died.

A post-mortem revealed Luke had died from multiple head injuries.

West Sussex assistant deputy coroner Martin Milward recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Click here to read tributes from Luke's mother and friends at the time of his death.

Click here to read a tribute from Luke's grandmother.

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