The tragic death of a soldier who crashed his Lexus while driving to McDonalds in bad weather, has prompted calls from a coroner for trees lining the road to be felled.
Jay Whiting, 21, was driving alone along Embankment Road in Plymouth in the early hours of January 7, when he lost control of his car and smashed into a mature tree.
Whiting was treated at the scene and was taken to Derriford Hospital, but died later that day. His cause of death was a severe head injury.
Now, coroner Nicholas Lane has urged that the stretch of mature trees that line the road where Whiting crashed should be felled because they are ‘frankly dangerous’.
Mr Lane urged Plymouth City Council to ‘formally consider’ if the trees need to be felled to prevent future deaths, saying there were ‘clear safety concerns’.
But Mr Lane, who is assistant coroner for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, was warned during the inquest that tree felling is a ‘political topic’ in Plymouth after more than 100 trees were cut down in the middle of the night.
The Army rifleman, who had served in Kenya, was on the way to meet friends at a McDonald’s when he got caught up in wet and windy weather.
He lost control of his green Lexus saloon on the dual carriageway — which is lined with around 20 trees and runs along the River Plym.
ay Whiting, 21, was driving alone along Embankment Road in Plymouth in the early hours of January 7, when he lost control of his car and smashed into a mature tree
Whiting mounted the kerb and collided with a mature tree which was just inches from the road.
The coroner said there were a ‘number of relevant factors’ in the crash including water on the road, poor tyre condition and the reclining of the driver’s seat.
Whiting’s friend told the inquest that they were not driving dangerously or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
In a Prevention of Future Deaths Report Mr Lane said ‘any vehicle’ that left the road would ‘immediately collide’ with the trees which are just inches from the road.
He said: ‘In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken.
‘The vehicle being driven by Jay Whiting left the road and immediately collided with a mature tree.
‘Photos were taken of the scene by forensic collision investigating officers, and these showed the large trees to be adjacent to the dual carriageway, situated on a pavement only a matter of inches from the kerb.
A map of where the incident took place along the stretch of Embankment Road, Plymouth
‘It is clear from these photos that, firstly, any vehicle that, in whatever situation, has cause to leave the road and mount the kerb is very likely to immediately collide with one of the mature trees.
‘Motor Police Constable Lee Richardson’s unequivocal opinion was that the presence of these mature trees at this location, particularly the stretch of trees at the location of this fatal incident is frankly dangerous from a road safety perspective.
‘Owing to there being clear safety concerns regarding the continued presence of these mature trees on Embankment Road, Plymouth, in my view these need to be formally considered with a view to determining what, if anything, should happen to the trees.’
MPC Richardson told the inquest that another crash had happened on Embankment Road in 2008, killing two occupants of the car.
The inquest also heard evidence from John Jones, a senior traffic engineer at Plymouth City Council, who said he wanted the trees removed but that felling was a ‘political topic’ in Plymouth.
In March 2023 contractors cut down 110 trees on another street in Plymouth as part of a regeneration scheme despite local opposition.
In his report Mr Lane said: ‘Mr Jones stated that he was aware of the concerns held by Devon and Cornwall Police regarding the mature trees and that, personally, he would also like the trees to be removed.
‘Mr Jones stated that the removal of trees in Plymouth was currently ‘a political topic’ and, for the trees on Embankment Road to be removed, a decision would need to be taken justifying the use of scarce local authority public funding.’
After the inquest Whiting’s parents, Stuart and Karren, told Plymouth Live: ‘Jay was a rifleman for the British Army and served his country. We truly believe he was more than just a 21-year-old young man who lost his life in a car crash.
‘He used to drive rifleman around in a heavy goods vehicle in the mountains of Kenya.
‘We just don’t want another family to receive the phone call that we did, and be pulled into a world of hurt and chaos when it’s something that can be avoided.
‘No parent should have to go through this again when they don’t have to.
‘That’s why it’s so important to make the embankment safer by the removal of these trees. Let’s hope this is actioned as quickly as possible.
‘To our boy Jay, we miss you more everyday. Swift and Bold.’