Taxi passenger stole car and died after crashing

A taxi passenger stole the vehicle while almost three times over the drink-drive limit and died after crashing on a dual carriageway, an inquest has heard.

Kian Collier, 22, was not wearing a seatbelt and died of multiple injuries in October last year.

Mr Collier, from Old Colwyn, crashed the stolen taxi on the A55 at Dwygyfylchi, near Conwy in north Wales.

His family described him as a "shy lad" who "excelled in all sports".

Kate Robertson, the assistant coroner for North Wales East and Central, said Kian had been a passenger in a taxi in the early hours of 28 October 2023.

She said he then took the white Hyundai Ioniq without the driver's consent.

Bangor-based company Premier Group, which owned the vehicle, previously confirmed the Hyundai was stolen from them.

Gordon Saynor, a forensic collision investigator with North Wales Police, said a traffic camera had captured the car disappearing out of sight behind a brow.

The inquest in Ruthin was told there were no witnesses to the collision.

Mr Saynor said that "after a kerb strike by the front wheel the car careened across the carriageway and hit metal railings and a stone wall".

A lack of deceleration marks at the scene meant he couldn't determine the speed of the vehicle on impact but said "it was well in excess of the 30mph limit".

He said Kian was not wearing a seatbelt at the time, and a post mortem examination found 224mg per litre of alcohol in his blood - the legal driving limit is 80mg per litre.

Ms Robertson found there was no evidence to say what caused Kian to lose control of the car while negotiating a left hand bend.

She concluded that Mr Collier died as a result of a road traffic collision.

She ended by passing on her condolences to his family saying "He had his whole life ahead of him.

"To lose somebody in such circumstances is incredibly tragic."