Two friends died in a road traffic collision after a night out in Narberth, when the car they were travelling in hit a hedgerow and bank head-on, a coroner’s inquest heard today (Thursday).

The inquest at Milford Haven town hall, led by Pembrokeshire Coroner Mark Layton, heard how the driver of the vehicle, 31-year-old William Stephen Halsall, of Hayscastle, and passenger 27-year-old Kayley Jane O’Connell, of Cox Hill, Narberth, both suffered fatal injuries when the VW Beetle they were travelling in failed to stop for a ’Give Way’ sign at a junction on the Narberth to Princes Gate road, near to Parc Gwyn Crematorium, some time after 1 am on February 5.

Coroner’s Officer for Dyfed Powys Police, Jeremy Davies, told the inquest that Miss O’Connell, who worked as a carer in the local community looking after elderly clients, and Mr. Halsall, who worked for a commercial cleaning company in Narberth, had both been out socialising in the town with friends on Saturday, February 4.

The pair and another male gave a lift home to a female friend in Llanmill in a VW Beetle which Mr. Halsall was driving, dropping her off at around 12.45 am, before heading back to Narberth, when the collision occurred.

Collision investigating officer, PC David Stacey, told the inquest that neither Mr. Halsall or Miss O’Connell were wearing seatbelts at the time of the impact. A third party who was sat in the front passenger seat was wearing a seatbelt, and survived the collision after being taken to Glangwili Hospital.

PC Stacey explained that there had been no evidence of another person, animal or vehicle involved, and that the visibility for driving had been good that night.

He also said that there had been no evidence of the vehicle braking prior to impact nor any loss of control, with no signs of skid marks on the road surface.

A post-mortem examination showed that Mr. Halsall had 127 micrograms of alcohol per 100 ml of blood in his system at the time, with the legal limit to drive being 80 mg. The examination also found that he had 7 mg of cannabis per litre of blood in his system.

PC Stacey told the inquest that the cocktail of alcohol and cannabis in the driver’s system would appear to have affected his level of concentration and control over the vehicle.

Coroner Mr. Layton commented that there was no blame attributed to anyone for these ‘sad deaths’ before delivering his verdict that both Mr. Halsall and Miss O’Connell died as a result of a road traffic collision.