A PROMISING student died when his car crashed into a tree after skidding off a road deemed only 'adequate' by safety experts, an inquest heard.

Martin O'Neill, 18, from Upton Grange, Widnes, lost control of his parents' Rover on a bend, in Lunts Heath Road, near Finsbury Park, on November 25 last year.

PC Peter McDonough, police crash investigator, said the inexperienced driver was doing at least 63mph when he 'fishtailed' on the 50mph limit road shortly before 8.30pm.

Colin Dutton, Halton Council highways engineer, said friction tests on that stretch - described as an 'accident blackspot' by residents of the area - had been carried out just four days before Martin's death.

They revealed that, although the level of friction between road surface and car tyre was 'adequate for its purpose' and 'not necessarily defective', they were down on last year's readings and 'further examination should be carried out (and) intervention could be warranted'.

Martin died moments after leaving home to pick up a friend he was going to the Upton Grange pub with.

Tragically, the Liverpool University biochemistry student, who dreamt of becoming a doctor, never arrived.

Motorist Martin Walwyn, a teacher, remembers telling his passenger wife: "That car's going very fast" as the Rover swerved towards him.

And bystander Andrew Tutty saw Martin fighting to correct the car on the bend before it hit a kerb, careering in to and over a small tree before landing in a field.

Both recalled running over to help only to be told by another person, an off-duty police officer, that Martin was already dead.

A post-mortem examination revealed he died from multiple injuries after being flung from his vehicle when, according to a police vehicle examiner, the seatbelt snapped on impact.

A toxicologist found no traces of drugs in his body or any evidence of drink driving.

Paying tribute to their son, proud parents Brenda and David O'Neill said they would cherish the 'happy times' spent with him.

"When we think of him it's difficult not to smile," they said. "We just can't understand it (the accident). It was totally out of character."

Cheshire's deputy coroner Dr Janet Napier recorded a verdict of accidental death.

nlakeman@worldgroup.co.uk