BY TOBY ROBINSON

A TRAGIC accident took the life of 24-year-old Matthew Nagington as he drove along the notorious A530 Nantwich to Whitchurch Road.

Cheshire Coroner Nicholas Rheinburg recorded the verdict at an inquest into his death at Crewe Magistrates' Courts on Friday.

Investigations discovered he had lost control of his Ford Fiesta XR2 and collided with two trees upon a bend at Baddington at approximately 9.15pm on Saturday, September 9.

Mr Nagington of Sheppenhall Lane, Aston died as a result of multiple injuries.

Police vehicle examiner Morris Lansom-Jones told the inquest that he had concluded no mechanical fault had caused the incident.

Leighton Hospital pathologist Dr Morgan who performed the post mortem found a blood alcohol level of 160 in a sample taken from Mr Nagington which is double the legal limit.

His father, Trevor, said there was nothing wrong with his son's eye sight and he had become an experienced driver since passing his test aged 17.

"To me, he always seemed competent," he said. "He had to drive with his job and he always enjoyed driving."

Mr Nagington's girlfriend, Adele Brennan, of Queen's Drive, Nantwich said they had been together on the day of the accident and visited a public house but he had been drinking Coke as he was driving.

She told the inquest that he had left the car at her house before they visited two further public houses during the evening in Nantwich Town Centre in which Mr Nagington had two pints of lager and then left on his own.

Long-time friend and work colleague at ScottishPower, Steven Muskin, of Manor Way, Crewe, said he had seen Mr Nagington, later in the evening, between 8 and 8.30pm in the Swan and Two Necks pub.

"We were talking by the bar and he had a pint of lager," said Mr Muskin. "Then his phone rang and he went."

Miss Brennan added it was not her who had made the phone call.

Police accident investigator PC Jones said there had been no witnesses to the accident on a bend he described as gradual rather than sharp.

The evidence suggested that the car had been travelling over the speed limit.

PC Jones said Mr Nagington had failed to turn into the bend, hit a grass verge and in trying to correct the error, oversteered which sent the car out of control, hitting a tree before a severe impact with another.

In conclusion PC Jones found Mr Nagington had failed to navigate the bend because of excessive speed and excessive alcohol in his blood stream.

Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg said it was likely that Mr Nagington had drunk more than the three pints they had heard about and his change of mind into driving that evening was related to the phone call.

He added there was no doubt the outcome was not anticipated or intentional and recorded a verdict of accidental death.