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| Drink drive soldier's fatal crash | Drink drive soldier's fatal crash |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| A soldier who had escaped unscathed from a roadside bomb in Iraq was killed in a car crash back in the UK just months later, an inquest has heard. | A soldier who had escaped unscathed from a roadside bomb in Iraq was killed in a car crash back in the UK just months later, an inquest has heard. |
| Pte David Liddon, 20, from Tylorstown, Rhondda, died while driving over the drink drive limit at 85mph on the A34 in Oxfordshire in April. | Pte David Liddon, 20, from Tylorstown, Rhondda, died while driving over the drink drive limit at 85mph on the A34 in Oxfordshire in April. |
| He had not been wearing his seatbelt. Three passengers survived the crash. | He had not been wearing his seatbelt. Three passengers survived the crash. |
| The coroner at the Oxford hearing, Nicolas Gardiner, recorded a verdict of accidental death. | The coroner at the Oxford hearing, Nicolas Gardiner, recorded a verdict of accidental death. |
| He said it appeared Pte Liddon would have survived if he had been properly restrained. | He said it appeared Pte Liddon would have survived if he had been properly restrained. |
| The inquest heard the soldier, who had survived a blast in 2007 from a roadside bomb in Basra which shattered his vehicle's windscreen, had gone out on the night of his death. | The inquest heard the soldier, who had survived a blast in 2007 from a roadside bomb in Basra which shattered his vehicle's windscreen, had gone out on the night of his death. |
| He had spent the evening in pubs and clubs in Abingdon, Oxfordshire with friends. | He had spent the evening in pubs and clubs in Abingdon, Oxfordshire with friends. |
| Natasha Small, one of the three passengers from the car, told the court Pte Liddon had had "one or two pints" as far as she could remember. | |
| She and friends Kevin Gill and Sophie Chalmers had put seatbelts on when they got in the car, but Pte Liddon did not. | She and friends Kevin Gill and Sophie Chalmers had put seatbelts on when they got in the car, but Pte Liddon did not. |
| Police found the car was being driven at 85mph down the 70mph A34 | Police found the car was being driven at 85mph down the 70mph A34 |
| The crash happened on the A34 between Abingdon and Drayton just before 0300 BST on 26 April. | The crash happened on the A34 between Abingdon and Drayton just before 0300 BST on 26 April. |
| Miss Small told the inquest: "We said he should but he said he did not feel comfortable wearing it." | Miss Small told the inquest: "We said he should but he said he did not feel comfortable wearing it." |
| A statement read out from Miss Chalmers said: "We all put our seatbelts on except David. | A statement read out from Miss Chalmers said: "We all put our seatbelts on except David. |
| "Tasha and I told him to put it on. | "Tasha and I told him to put it on. |
| "He replied saying he never wore one, he said he did not care what happened to him." | "He replied saying he never wore one, he said he did not care what happened to him." |
| Both women were seriously injured in the crash. | Both women were seriously injured in the crash. |
| The court heard Pte Liddon was thrown from the car and died almost instantly on the carriageway. | The court heard Pte Liddon was thrown from the car and died almost instantly on the carriageway. |
| A police investigation found one of the car's rear tyres had been punctured by a screw but had not significantly deflated, and was only a contributing factor rather than a cause of the crash. | A police investigation found one of the car's rear tyres had been punctured by a screw but had not significantly deflated, and was only a contributing factor rather than a cause of the crash. |
| Recording his verdict, the coroner said: "He lost control of his vehicle which overturned and he was thrown from it - contributory factors being that he was not using a seatbelt and had been drinking. | Recording his verdict, the coroner said: "He lost control of his vehicle which overturned and he was thrown from it - contributory factors being that he was not using a seatbelt and had been drinking. |
| "It appears to me that if he was wearing a seatbelt he would have been restrained and would not have suffered any more serious injuries than the other occupants of the car." | "It appears to me that if he was wearing a seatbelt he would have been restrained and would not have suffered any more serious injuries than the other occupants of the car." |
| Speaking after the inquest, Pte Liddon's grandmother Christine Harris said: "He had always wanted to join the services and everybody liked him. | Speaking after the inquest, Pte Liddon's grandmother Christine Harris said: "He had always wanted to join the services and everybody liked him. |
| "He was a ladies' man, a young single guy and free as a bird. | "He was a ladies' man, a young single guy and free as a bird. |
| "He loved his job and we were all very proud of him." | "He loved his job and we were all very proud of him." |
| Army friend Pte Michael Widdrington, 23, added: "He never had a bad word to say about anybody. He was one of those few people who would say 'good morning' and mean it. | Army friend Pte Michael Widdrington, 23, added: "He never had a bad word to say about anybody. He was one of those few people who would say 'good morning' and mean it. |
| "He would ask you how you were getting on and he was sincere about it." | "He would ask you how you were getting on and he was sincere about it." |