Sam Gibson Inquest: Young Harrogate man killed in tragic crash on A59 in North Yorkshire

Sam Gibson, 24, from Harrogate, died on Sunday, March 13 when his Peugeot 208 left the road near Upper Poppleton and landed in a ditch on its roof.

The former Rossett School pupil was out in York on the Saturday evening with some friends, drinking into the early hours of the morning before getting into his car to drive home.

Sam was travelling towards Harrogate when his vehicle left the road near Hodgson Lane, struck a tree and ended up in a ditch.

The police were contacted by a passer-by who had seen the car overturned at 7am and officers arrived find Sam dead at the scene.

A post mortem examination of Sam highlighted several severe injuries particularly to his sternum and right knee and life threatening injuries including a catastrophic brain and spinal cord injury caused by a skull fracture.

Blood tests also showed that Sam was found to be 2.5 times over the drink drive limit, having an affect on his coordination and driving ability.

North Yorkshire Police forensic collision investigator PC Richard Barker was able to establish from friction burns that Sam had been wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision and that there were no road defects on the single carriageway road when the accident occurred.

PC Barker was also able to confirm that the speed the car was travelling was unknown due to the damage to the car on arrival and that the air bags in the Peugeot didn’t go off because they had previously been deployed.

The coroner said: “Sam was travelling along the A59 and had just left the outer ring road when his vehicle left the road, struck a tree and ended up in a ditch.

“The accident was investigated by North Yorkshire Police and speed, which was unknown, and alcohol were factors.

“Sam was driving along the A59 and as a result of the alcohol consumed, his coordination and ability to drive properly was impaired, he overreacted and in doing so left the road and struck the tree.

“Sam was found dead at the scene at 7.30am on Sunday, March 13, although the accident occurred at 3.30am, it gives an indication as to how difficult the car was to see.”