Overview
- An Exeter inquest, held Monday, concluded 17-year-old Archie Harris lost control after driving in excess of 80mph on a rural bend near Holsworthy.
- Investigators said his Ford Fiesta left the A3072, struck a tree, and came to rest nose down in a gully at Blakea Bridge, where he was found ejected and declared dead at 4:39pm on May 26, 2024.
- Reports to the coroner found no alcohol in his system, no defects with the car, and no adverse weather, leading to a formal finding of death due to a road traffic collision.
- Witnesses described a three-car convoy leaving a nearby pub shortly before 4pm and reported seeing vehicles taken at speed, with Harris’s car swerving seconds behind the others.
- Family tributes at the hearing described a popular teen whose death left a large void, underscoring the risks new drivers face soon after passing their tests.