Two men died in 'insane' 100mph crash as inquest reveals state of driver at time

15 November 2023 , 10:59

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Sammy Phillips, who died when drink driver Lewis Moghul crashed at 100mph

Two men died when a drink driver smashed into a tree in a BMW car at an 'insane' 100mph, an inquest has heard.

Lewis Moghul, 22, from Whitchurch Hill, and Sammy Phillips, 19, from Henley-on-Thames, were killed on impact in the collision in Bix, Oxfordshire, on 3 February. An inquest at Oxford Coroner's Court heard Mr Moghul, who was driving the vehicle, was more than three times over the legal alcohol limit for driving.

Thames Valley Police said they believed the pair were doing between 70mph and 100mph in a red BMW at the time of the collision, a speed described by one eyewitness at the inquest as "insane".

The two men died instantly when the red BMW crashed into a tree at 100mph

The pair had been drinking together in the town of Henley before the crash. It was found that Lewis's blood alcohol level was 247mg per 100 millilitres of blood, with 80mg being the legal drink-drive limit in England.

Senior coroner Darren Salter said a sudden "swerve to the left" caused his "loss of control" following his decision "drive at high speed while intoxicated". He concluded that Mr Moghul "failed to stay on his side of the road" while taking a slight bend.

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Sammy's family said they hoped his death would remind young people that they are "not invincible". Justine Morris, his mother, read a statement to Oxford Coroner's Court which said: "Boys like Sammy die on our roads every single day of the year, and the ingredients are too often the same: young men, fast cars and alcohol. Road crashes remain the leading cause of death among young people in the UK and 17- to 24-year-olds are, sadly, the biggest losers.

Sammy's family said they hoped his death would remind young people that they are 'not invincible'

"At 19, Sammy was on the cusp of great things. He'd recently found his calling as a tree surgeon and had landed his first proper job. After struggling academically, he now had every reason to feel good about himself. He had a wide circle of friends and he had plans. It was wonderful to hear him talk about his hopes and dreams for the future.

"Sammy knew how proud we were of him and how far he'd come in the past couple of years. As a family, we can only hope that the death of both boys will serve as a reminder to all their young friends, to all those who knew them: you are not invincible. While we would support a zero-tolerance drink-drive limit so that it becomes socially unacceptable to have even one drink when driving, we recognise that no change in the law can eradicate the exuberance of youth."

"So to all young men, I would simply say this: 'Think of your mum. Before you put your foot down, before you have a drink and think it's okay to get behind the wheel, think of your mum standing where I am now and imagine how utterly heartbroken she'd be."

Police sergeant James Surman, of Thames Valley Police, said: "I can only hope this serves as a reminder to all young drivers of the risks involved in drink driving. It significantly impairs people's driving ability. That, coupled with the speed that was involved in this case, needs to serve as a warning. Both Lewis and Sammy have lost their lives far too young."

Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas