A crash in Gwynedd that killed four teenage boys when they drowned in an overturned car could have been avoided, an inquest has heard.

Hugo Morris, 18, Harvey Owen, 17, Wilf Fitchett, 17, and Jevon Hirst, 16, died last November when their car left the A4085 near Garreg and Llanfrothen, flipping on to its roof and landing in a flooded ditch.

The Ford Fiesta driven by Hugo could not be seen from the road, leading to a two-day search to find the teens, from Shrewsbury, who went missing during a camping trip.

A council worker in a recycling truck spotted the upturned car. All four teens were found dead inside.

Post-mortem examinations revealed all of the students drowned.

Shrewsbury Abbey in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, where members of the public can pay tribute after four teenagers who went to college in the town tragically died on a camping trip. November 22, 2023. Release date – November 22, 2023. See SWNS story SWBNdeaths. The college attended by the four boys who tragically died on a camping trip have offered support to students and staff. A desperate search for Jevon Hirst, Harvey Owen, Wilf Henderson, and Hugo Morris was carried out yesterday after the teens failed to return home as planned. But tragically, four bodies were discovered in a car in Wales which was on its roof and partially submerged in water. All four boys attended Shrewsbury College and a spokesperson for the site has since offered their thoughts to anyone affected by the sad news.
Candles lit in Shrewsbury Abbey (Joseph Walshe / SWNS)

North Wales Police said there were no mechanical failures with the car, but both rear tyres were only half the required inflated pressure for carrying four people.

A crash investigator said although it had been raining heavily, the weather is not believed to have caused the accident, and Hugo probably drove into the bend too fast. The investigator said he believed the crash "was avoidable".

Senior coroner Kate Robertson said signage on the approach to the bend was inadequate and she would write to Gwynedd Council and the landowner by the crash site regarding the need for fencing or barriers.

She will also write to the UK government about newly qualified drivers being able to carry passengers.

Harvey's mother has launched a petition calling for the introduction of a graduated driving licence and the following safety measures for newly qualified drivers aged 17 to 19:

● Learner drivers should undergo a minimum 6-month learning period before being eligible for a practical test, ensuring they gain valuable experience on a variety of roads and in different weather conditions.

● For the first 6 months after passing their test (or until they turn 20, whichever comes first), they should not carry passengers aged 25 or under unless accompanied by an older adult.

● Violating this rule should result in 6 penalty points, leading to immediate license suspension and the requirement to retake the practical test under the New Drivers Act 1995.

Exemptions would apply for young parents taking their own dependents, people who qualify for the enhanced rate of mobility component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and members of the armed forces or other drivers in the course of their in-work-duties.

The petition can be found at https://shorturl.at/nUIjt