A DRIVER was three times over the legal alcohol limit when he was involved in a horrific accident which killed two people.

During an inquest at the Seax House Coroner Court in Chelmsford it was revealed that David Bradley, who was 30 at the time of the crash, had 256 milligrammes of alcohol in the blood.

There was also evidence of cannabis and cocaine, as well as amphetamine and diazepam in his system.

The man from Beckers Green Road in Braintree was declared dead at the scene with injuries to his thorax after his Ford Fiesta veered across the carriageway on the A1017.

The horrific crash happened in December 2014 in Braintree Road, Gosfield.

It claimed two lives and left another man fighting for his life, who died days after.

James Simmons, an 18-year-old musician from Hillside Gardens in Braintree, was passenger in a Volkswagen Polo which was in collision with the Ford Fiesta. He was declared dead.

The driver of the Polo, known locally as Coz Powell, in his twenties and from Gosfield, was flown to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.

He died eight days later.

Coroner’s officer, Paul Gammon, said: “The Ford Fiesta veered off the carriageway resulting in a collision.

“Doctor Swift at Broomfield Hospital found Mr Bradley had multiple injuries to his thoracic aorta.

“Mr Powell had multiple injuries including traumatic brain injuries.

“Mr Simmons also passed away from multiple injuries.”

The legal limit of alcohol in blood is 80 milligrammes, to 100 millilitres of blood.

The inquest revealed Mr Bradley had driven his friend, Jasmine Potter's car to get home to his partner and children, who live in Colchester.

Both Miss Potter and Mr Bradley had been drinking and taking drugs.

Miss Potter had returned to her Fiesta to sleep after leaving a party on December 7, when she vaguely remembered Mr Bradley getting in the driver's seat and switching on the ignition.

Miss Potter said: "My friend gave me a lift back to my car as we left the party.

"I had no intention of driving the car but the next thing I realised David had got in the front and he looked really angry.

"I said if he wanted a lift home he would have to wait until the morning but he didn't want to.

"He sped off like he was in a race-car and I couldn't do anything apart from shout at him to stop.

"He wasn't acting like a normal person. He stopped once in a layby and I could have got out but I wouldn't have saved anyone but myself.

"He still had the keys so he drove off again. I don't remember the crash but I remember hearing him screaming just before it."

She was taken to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford with serious injuries.

Mr Bradley had been overtaking cars at what witnesses thought was about 60 miles per hour along the road between McDonald's roundabout and the A120.

After going over the roundabout he went to overtake a car and veered off into oncoming traffic, colliding with the Polo.

Emily Penton was in the Polo with Mr Simmons and Mr Powell as they were heading home after playing boardgames together.

Miss Penton said: "We hadn't long been on the road when we came to a rural part of the road, with only a few houses.

"There was no traffic in front or behind us, but lots of traffic coming the other way.

"The Fiesta swerved onto our side of the road and it was only a fraction of a second before I blacked out, and everything had happened."

There were a number of witnesses at the hearing who said they were concerned at Mr Bradley's driving.

Rebecca Clarke's car was hit by his car shortly before the collision.

Mrs Clarke said: "I had my daughter in the car and we were heading to my mum's house in Bocking.

"A car had come up on the left side and started wedging himself between me and the car in front.

"He looked very angry and started shouting. He was swerving close to the side of me.

"He was on the wrong side of the road overtaking people, he ended up behind me and started revving his car and hit my bumper from behind."

Damian Jesson said he noticed the Fiesta "fling out" onto the wrong side of the road at the same set of roundabouts.

He said: "I thought he had put on too much turn and that he was going to lose control.

"He came flying up behind another car and then drove at the side of it. I saw him stop at a layby and get out of the car, flinging his hands in the air.

"I couldn't understand how he didn't end up rolling the car over."

Joanne Langer was driving on the same stretch of road and for a moment saw the blue Fiesta coming straight towards her.

She was travelling in the opposite direction, on the way to Braintree.

She said: "I was on the right hand lane at the roundabout, ready to go straight over.

"I was aware of a blue car coming at me so I just swerved my car to the left to get out of the way and he just sped off at a ridiculous speed. It was a miracle I managed to get out of the way."

Christopher Jenkin saw the last part of the impact and gave a similar account to Mrs Langer, saying he saw a blue car "speed off into the distance" .

Just before the collision, David Holdsworth and his partner Crystal Smith had seen Mr Bradley in a dispute with the driver of a Ford Mondeo, and the two cars were swerving around eachother.

Mr Holdsworth said: "We were driving behind a Ford Mondeo and I saw a stationary car on the near side.

"Two people were in confrontation in the Fiesta and the other car tried to overtake it, but the Fiesta pulled away from the kerbside at the same time and I thought there could be a fight.

"I called 999 and I saw the Fiesta had come to rest facing towards a hedge, I got out of the car and ran to the crash site and that's when I saw another vehicle was involved. I realised how bad it was."

David Howard, from the forensic collision investigation unit, had drawn up a report from the scene.

Commenting on the damage to the cars, he said: "The Fiesta had extensive fire damage to the interior and the rear light units were found on the carriageway. There were no faults with the controls.

"The Polo also had significant damage, the bumper had been dislodged and the front wheels were facing rearwards.

"The impact definitely occurred within the Braintree-bound lane.

"Mr Powell was within the speed limit but there was insufficient time to avoid a collision. The effect of the concoction of substances Mr Bradley had inside him would have had a significant impact on the outcome of this incident.

"It happened extremely suddenly and the angle of intrusion and the fact there was no pre-incident breaking suggests there's nothing Mr Powell could have done.”

Parents of James, Michael and Gillian Simmons, said the past year had taken its toll on the family.

Mr Simmons said: "The past 13 months has been pretty much unbearable and I'm sure it will be the same for the next 13 months.

"The results don't bring any comfort, they only confirm what we already knew.

"It's been like ripples of a pond touching the extended family. I don't think there will ever be closure but we can just learn to cope with it."

James, who was studying for a diploma in music technology at The College at Braintree, worked as a general assistant at Savers Health and Beauty, in High Street, and at Tesco in the town.

Mr Powell’s parents, Gennie and Antony, were also at the hearing.

Recalling memories of her son Coz, Mrs Powell said: “We are just pushing forward and trying to do what he wanted to do, which has helped us.

“Once we have set up his legacy, that will be good, as we have had to squash and repress a lot.

“Coz was wonderful, different, from a different planet.

“He had some wonderful ideas – he could talk about God, aliens and politics all at the same time.

“He loved people and he loved life. He said he didn’t want to grow old, he wanted to go out like a blaze of glory like a hero.

“And he did- he stopped David Bradley hitting someone else.”

The inquest was concluded this morning, with Senior Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray confirming the deaths were caused by a collision, during which Mr Bradley had been driving in a highly dangerous manner. 

She said: "Mr Simmons was clearly a much loved young man with musical gifts and a bright future ahead of him. 

"Mr Bradley clearly was a loving father and a reliable worker, and again had a bright future. 

"Mr Powell was a much respected young man and a much loved friend."