Young man died in crash after News Years Eve party

Alan John Dean McClusky, affectionately known as Alby, of Glebe Farm House, sustained a fatal injury when the VW Golf GTI he was driving came off the Welsh Road in Cubbington and crashed into a ditch near his home just after 6am on New Years Day this year.

An inquest into his death was held at Warwickshire Justice Centre in Leamington today (Friday).

Mr McClusky was among the last to leave the party, which was being held in a barn at the farm by his friend Holly Blunson whose father owns part of the site.

For unknown reasons Mr McClusky had got into the car and driven off at speed.

A post-mortem by Dr Stuart Hamilton found Mr McClusky had 200 microgrammes of alcohol in his blood, which is two-and-a-half times the drink drive limit, and also traces of a recreational drug.

The cause of his death was a ruptured aorta, the main artery connected to the heart.

Forensic collision investigator Pc Colin Humphries described the extensive impact damage to the car and said Mr McClusky had not been wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.

He had also only been using side lights on the car.

Pc Humphries found no evidence the accident could have been caused by any obstructions on the road or faults with the car or that it had involved any other vehicles.

In his witness statement Adam Williamson, a party goer who had been sat in the front passenger seat of the car during the accident, described how Mr McClusky had been driving at speed before he veered off the road.

Flynn Murphy, who had seen a fire engine and ambulances rushing to the scene, said the party had been busy but good natured.

Recording a verdict of death as the result of a road traffic accident, coroner Sean McGovern told the victim’s family it would never be known why Mr McClusky got into his car.

Mr McGovern, who had visited the scene of the accident and seen the tributes left by the friends and loved ones of Mr McCluksy on a tree nearby, said: “It’s a long time since I was 26 and stayed up all night at a party but these things happen and he probably lost control.

“He had a lot of alcohol in his system and he was probably very tired - it was 6am in the morning and he had been up all night.

“It was also dark as well and he didn’t have his full lights on so that contributed to the accident.

“I offer my condolences to you, I was very sorry when I heard a young lad had died on New Years Day.

“My impression was he had a happy time at the party so this is very sad.”

An RIP Alby McClusky tribute page has been set up on Facebook.