Teenage driver dies after crashing car during police pursuit

Conner Palmer and two other men were in the red Ford Max B saloon which had been one of two cars stolen from the same property earlier that evening during a burglary.

The inquest jury at Wells, Somerset, said the stolen car with no rear lights on was seen by a solo police officer on duty at 2.36am on the A38 dual carriageway in Taunton, Somerset.

The jury said the car was confirmed as stolen and 18-year-old Palmer drove off at speed when they realised a police car was following them.

The jury said the speeding car hit a kerb and lost control and crashed into a lamppost and wall and flipped onto its roof after the pursuit which lasted just five minutes.

Palmer, of Friarn Avenue, Bridgwater, was cut out of the car but died in hospital from traumatic injuries.

The jury said factory worker Palmer had been intoxicated - and blood samples showed he was three times the legal drink drive top limit.

The four-day-long inquest heard from the two other men in the car who were seriously injured.

One of them, Sam Ellis, told the jury he knew there was going to be a crash.

He said Palmer, who he had only met that day, had been driving the car 'like an old lady' until they noticed the police car behind them and sped off during the chase.

Mr Ellis said he was crying in the back seat ringing family members telling them 'there is going to be a crash'.

He said Palmer and the other man were not bothered about the police car and were laughing as they tried to get away from the marked police car.

The police response officer, Sergeant Jonathan Eamer, said the stolen car failed to stop for him and sped off at speeds of up to 60mph in a 30mph zone.

After the crash in October 2019, a second police officer thought the car appeared to be on fire and used an extinguisher to douse it as 'it was smoking'.

The acting senior coroner for Somerset Samantha Marsh recorded a misadventure conclusion.

Written by Somerset County Gazette court reporter