A MAN who died after the car he was driving left the road and crashed into a tree had been over the drink drive limit, an inquest has heard.
Callum Murray, 37, was behind the wheel of a silver BMW when the horror crash took place in Foxhall Road, between Steeple and Southminster.
Police officers and paramedics were called to the scene shortly after 4.30pm on Sunday, July 23, to reports of a single vehicle crash.
Mr Murray was found in the driver’s seat, slumped across the passenger seat with obvious head injuries.
He was declared dead at the scene by paramedics.
The passenger in the vehicle, Mr Murray's friend since secondary school, was knocked unconscious during the crash on Sunday, July 23 this year.
When he awoke, he had little recollection of what happened in the lead-up to the crash and was in shock.
An inquest at Essex Coroner's Court in Chelmsford today heard CCTV had shown the car had been travelling at “high speed” before the fatal crash.
The court was also told Mr Murray had been over the drink drive limit and had cocaine in his system.
Area Coroner Michelle Brown said Mr Murray had been at his home address, where he lived with his parents, just before the incident.
Statements were taken at the scene from a farmer and a woman who believed the BMW had overtaken her prior to the crash.
Area Coroner Michelle Brown said: “At the post-mortem on July 26 the cause of death was confirmed following a toxicology report showing traumatic head injury, road traffic collision and alcohol and cocaine toxicology.
“Ethanol increases slightly post-death but, in his blood, 222 micrograms were found in 100 ml of blood and the drink-drive limit is 80.
“In urine, the limit is about 103 milligrams per 100 ml, and this was found to be 300, so quite significant alcohol readings.
“Cocaine is harder to read but there was evidence of cocaine use.
“I can conclude Callum Murray died July 23, 2023 at Foxhall Road in Steeple as result of a road traffic accident due to alcohol and drug intoxication.”
Foxhall Road remained closed for more than six hours as investigators probed the scene and emergency workers helped to clear it up.
At the time, Essex Police appealed for witnesses, anyone with information or those with dashcam footage to contact its officers.
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