Young siblings Jackson Watters and Millie Crouch died in crash after attempt to overtake went tragically wrong, inquest hears

Jackson Watters and Millie Crouch, from Stoford, were travelling on the A36 near Steeple Langford on October 10, 2016, when their Ford Fiesta crashed into a brown Mercedes Sprinter van coming in the opposite direction.

An inquest at Salisbury Coroner's Court today heard that Jackson had been trying to overtake a camper van when he lost control of his car and veered into the path of the oncoming delivery van.

The van driver had no time to brake and the vehicles crashed at a combined speed of 100mph, killing the young siblings instantly.

Their mum, 53-year-old exercise therapist Salli Grant, said: "It's a tragic waste of life, my beautiful babies.

"The world will never be the same again. Everything we planned for, grandchildren, it's all gone. Just wiped away in that moment."

Jackson Watters

The inquest heard Jackson had only recently passed his test in July 2016, but had been part of a young driver programme since the age of 11, and enjoyed go-carting, so had "a head start before he started his lessons".

Jackson, Millie and Jackson's girlfriend Angharad Baggott left Kingdown School in Warminster at 2.55pm, setting off towards the A36. They dropped Angharad off at her home in Sutton Veny and Millie took her place in the front passenger seat.

When they had not arrived home by 4pm, Salli called Angharad, wondering where they were, the inquest heard.

"Jackson's phone just kept ringing and ringing," she said.

Senior Coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon David Ridley said: "Later on, of course, they got the tragic news."

The inquest heard that UPS delivery driver Duncan Beck was heading for the Rainbow on the Lake pub at about 40mph when he saw a lorry coming towards him.

"What happened next occurred so quickly, in a flash," he said, as he described seeing a car coming from behind the lorry, on his side of the road.

"There was simply no way the driver could have overtaken the lorry before he hit me," he said.

He said the car then "braked hard" and tried to pull in behind the lorry, but the driver must then have lost control and almost immediately appeared back on his side of the road.

The front of the van collided with the side of the car and the van went onto its side and into a hedge.

"The collision happened so quickly, I don't believe I could have done anything to avoid it," said Mr Beck.

Millie Crouch with dad Jamie

The inquest heard Nicholas Paget was driving a Mazda Bongo camper van east on the A36 when he saw a purple Fiesta approaching from behind him.

"I remember noticing he was driving really fast," he said.

"He drove really close up behind me.

"I thought he clearly wants to overtake."

He then described seeing the Fiesta move out from behind him.

"I remember thinking he will never make it," he said.

The Fiesta then pulled back in behind him, he said, before weaving from left to right.

He said he was not sure if the driver was going to overtake or was "just messing about".

Almost immediately as the UPS van passed him he saw "a flash of purple" as the Fiesta pulled out in front of the van, he said.

"I'm not sure if he lost control or was trying to overtake.

"I just saw a cloud of smoke and dust as the two vehicles collided."

Off-duty paramedic Andrew Guy came across the scene and said it was clear neither sibling had survived.

Both were pronounced dead at 3.25pm.

The scene of the accident on the A36

The inquest heard neither vehicle had problems that could have caused the crash and the weather was fine, clear and dry.

Jackson's toxicology report was "completely negative", showing nothing legal or illegal in his system.

PC Neil Hannis said it was the first collision he had investigated in which a black box recorder had been fitted to one of the vehicles.

He said Jackson's car had been travelling at 66mph on a 60mph road immediately before the crash, in which the body of the car was "split in two diagonally".

Jackson had either been in the process of overtaking or had lost control while preparing to overtake, he said.

Recording a conclusion of road traffic collision, Mr Ridley said: "Jackson lost control of his Ford Fiesta having aborted an attempt to overtake the Mazda camper van in front.

"Unable to regain control, his car veered onto the opposite side of the highway and into the path of an oncoming Mercedes Sprinter van travelling at about 40mph heading west.

"The front nearside of the Fiesta struck the front of the Mercedes. The combined collision speed was more likely than not about 100mph.

"The driver of the Mercedes van had insufficient time to take any effective evasive action."

Mr Ridley added: "My sincere condolences to you all. No parent should find themselves in this situation. There are no words to describe it."

Speaking after the hearing, Millie's dad Jamie Crouch said: "They were two lovely, very intelligent children with everything to live for.

"It's just a very tragic accident and I wouldn't wish anybody to have to go through what we are all having to go through.

"It's not just affected us, it's affected everyone around us.

"It runs very deep. We have been absolutely inundated with messages and help. We would like to thank everybody who has supported us through this and is continuing to support Salli, myself and Steve [Jackson's father]."

Jamie said almost 700 people had attended the funeral.

"It was absolutely packed, which is testament to how much people loved them."

See also: Parents pay tribute to 'beautiful' son and daughter killed in crash on A36

'Shattered' school mourns loss of two 'fantastic' pupils in 'desperately sad' week

UPDATE: Teenage driver and child passenger killed in crash on A36 identified

Fundraising started to support 'grief stricken' mum, Salli Grant, whose two children died in a car crash this year