An 18 year old driver and two teen passengers died in a Staffordshire crash, after he lost control speeding; one passenger survived with injuries.
Dafydd Huw Craven-Jones, 18, died, along with Morgan Jones and Sophie Bates, both 17. Brooke Varley, 17, survived the crash. Dafydd lost control of his Ford Ka in Penkridge, near Stafford, at night.
Dafydd had filmed himself before picking up his friends, expressing worry that he sped at 90mph in a 70mph zone. He then picked up his friends from a party.
Dafydd drove from Wales to Penkridge and picked up Morgan, who felt sick. Sophie and Brooke joined them for a drive. Sophie and Brooke weren’t wearing seatbelts, while Morgan only used the shoulder strap, sitting on the lap belt.
The inquest heard that Dafydd drove fast over a bridge. He lost control of the car, which hit a grass verge and then a tree. Dafydd and Morgan died at the scene, and Sophie died later in the hospital from a severe brain injury.
Brooke survived but regrets not using her seatbelt, explaining it was dark and she could not find it. She also felt scared before the crash and had asked Dafydd to slow down, saying the car was going too fast.
A phone app recorded a speed of 85mph during the 15-minute journey, but the court couldn’t verify the speed. Dafydd’s mother said he drove well, and police found no car defects; his car was insured and had a valid MOT.
Dafydd had no drugs or alcohol in his system and wasn’t using his phone during the crash. Since 2017, there had been three serious crashes on that road, including another fatal one in January 2024.
Despite hazard reports about the road, officials said speed wasn’t a problem but will improve road markings and signs. The coroner will send a report urging improvements to the road and recorded the deaths as a traffic collision.
The car hit a tree after Dafydd lost control, and a rear passenger not wearing a seatbelt hit the driver’s seat. The impact likely worsened Dafydd’s injuries, and concerns remain about the lack of action on the road. The report urges road improvements.
Brooke shared that she lost amazing people. Sophie was kind and lived life fully, and Morgan was funny, kind, and sweet. Dafydd had a kind soul. Tributes were left at the crash site as the families honored the teens; Dafydd and Morgan died on Cannock Road.
