A three-year-old boy suffered fatal injuries after a speeding airborne car, driven by a drunk driver, slammed into the car he was sitting in, crushing the roof and him beneath it.
The inquest into the death of Reuben Williams, who lost his life on December 20, 2017, was opened by senior coroner Ian Arrow with only investigating officer MPC David Stephenson of the Serious Collision Unit in attendance.
MPC Stephenson said that shortly after midday Francesca Gould was driving her Volvo V70 along the Plymouth road between Avonwick and Totnes, with Reuben strapped into his car seat, in the rear passenger seat diagonally behind her.
A Honda Civic coming the opposite direction overtook a lorry before veering from side to side. The Honda hit a bank and the vehicle became airborne, smashing into the passenger side of the Volvo. The Honda rolled onto its roof, spinning around before coming to a stop.
MPC Stephenson said witnesses said two men got out of the car - later found to be Andrew Vass and his passenger Paul Mosely. One of the men seen appeared upset and claimed he had caused the death of a child. The other man was heard urging his colleague to leave the scene.
When police arrived, both men were breathalysed. Vass blew 67 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath. Mr Mosely, the front seat passenger, was initially arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving. A short while later Vass was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and being over the drink drive limit.
Both men were taken to Charles Cross police station for questioning. On the way Vass told a police officer "I&apos;m going to jail for sure. I can&apos;t believe I killed a kid", but refused to sign the officer&apos;s pocket notebook who had written down this exclamation.
Vass, through his solicitor, gave a statement at the station confirming he was the driver. He denied he drove dangerously and said he recalled overtaking a lorry when it was safe to do so. He claimed he knew the road well, having driving it five days a week for two and a half months. He insisted he was not over the speed limit adding that he was "upset when I found that I had killed a child". He said he wanted to offer his "sincerest condolences" before then answering "no comment" to all questions put to him.
MPC Stephenson said it transpired that Vass was out on licence at the time of the collision having been jailed in 2014 for manslaughter. His term was set to end in October 2018. As a result his licence was revoked and he was returned to prison on December 23, 2017.
The inquest heard how Vass had been involved in an incident on August 7, 2013 where he and others on foot chased a male on a bicycle. The cyclist, 63-year-old John Reeder, had been pushed from his bike and suffered fatal head injuries. Vass, who denied the offence but was found guilty at Cardiff Crown Court, was handed a five year prison sentence.
MPC Stephenson said that a blood sample taken from Vass at Charles Cross police station following his arrest was found to be 98 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit was 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.
An examination of the Honda Civic found the two rear tyres were badly defective, with one almost 50 percent smooth across its circumference. Both were in a deflated condition and the treads were both below the legal depth limit.
An examination of the scene itself, as well as the dash cam of the lorry, revealed that the Honda was travelling at around 79 mph on the road which had a 60mph national speed limit. Police determined that the incident occurred due to the excess speed of the car, the two defective rear tyres, and the impairment through alcohol.
Further inquiries found that both Vass and Mosely were working in the building trade and had been at work in Modbury on the morning of December 20. A ground worker told police he had seen Vass consume a bottle of beer in a cafe that morning, which had been given to the workers for Christmas. At his sentencing hearing at Plymouth Crown Court it was claimed Vass was still over the limit from the night before.
MPC Stephenson said further investigations found that Mosely had gone into a branch of the Co-operative store that morning to buy a bottle of vodka. The CCTV footage showed him get into the Honda Civic and the car remained stationary "for some time". An opened vodka bottle was later recovered from the Honda by police.
The pair then returned to the building site in Modbury and finished work before they headed off on the Plymouth road in the direction of Totnes. The Honda then collided with the Volvo moments after Vass overtook the lorry at speed.
The collision left Francesca, a chef, with a fractured arm.
The inquest heard how her husband, IT worker Thomas Williams, identified the body of his son at Derriford Hospital, just five days before Christmas Day.
A forensic post mortem revealed that Reuben suffered severe head injuries, with an open-shell brain injury and cerebral contusions. The pathologist noted how Reuben would have suffered "instant unconsciousness" and that he would have been "unaware of what happened... death would have followed rapidly".
Reuben had also suffered lacerations to his face and fractures to his humerus and femur.
MPS Stephenson offered to read out statements from the horrified witnesses who were first on the scene, but Mr Arrow declined, saying "I think we can all imaging how distressing it was".
The inquest heard how Vass pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury through dangerous driving and driving while intoxicated. He was jailed for five years and four months. Vass will also be banned from driving for two years after his release from prison.
MPC Stephenson added: "Vass&apos;s speed was excessive while he was under the influence of alcohol. The manoeuvre, in my view, was dangerous."
Mr Arrow asked if the Honda had struck "exactly where Reuben was sat?"
MPC Stephenson replied: "Yes, unfortunately".
Mr Arrow considered this before adding, "Reuben&apos;s compartment took the full impact [of the collision].
He recorded a verdict of death caused by dangerous driving.
Senior coroner Ian Arrow offered his condolences to Reuben&apos;s grieving family adding that he hoped the publicity of the inquest served as a "warning to the public of dangerous driving whilst intoxicated and driving at excessive speed, and to doubly not drive at excessive speed while intoxicated."