Police tailed death crash driver

Police have told an inquest that a driver who died in a crash probably did not know he was being followed.

Tudor Swain, 18, from Helston, died from multiple injuries in the crash near RNAS Culdrose on 23 July last year after a head-on collision with another car.

Sergeant Trevor Weeks, now retired, told the Helston inquest that he began following a white Toyota Carina on the A3038 after reports that the car had been stolen near Cadgwith.

He said that although he was confident that driver Mr Swain had seen him, it was "unlikely" he would have thought he was being followed.

'Lunatic' driving

Soon after Sergeant Weeks began following the Toyota, it clipped a number of cars and crashed into a Citroen Xsara.

There were no other fatalities or serious injuries.

Sergeant Weeks said he had had no specialist driving training and that it had been his intention to follow the stolen car, leaving any pursuit to traffic officers.

Earlier other motorists told the inquest that Mr Swain's driving, was "dangerous", "reckless", "lunatic" and "aggressive".

Coroner Edward Carlyon said that Mr Swain's death was "almost inevitable" as a result of his driving.

He recorded a verdict of accidental death.