Inquest opens for A14 crash victim, 21

An inquest has been opened for a 21-year-old man who died after a crash on the A14.

On Friday, an inquest into the death of Oscar Vatcher, from Bury St Edmunds, at Suffolk Coroners’ Court in Ipswich.

He died in the early hours of December 22 last year after a crash on the A14.

Mr Vatcher, who was originally from Hertfordshire, had been driving his yellow Lotus Emira just after midnight in the westbound carriageway between junction 45 for Blackthorpe and junction 44 for Bury St Edmunds.

The court heard that the vehicle left the carriageway on the nearside of the road and struck a tree. The vehicle was turned upside down, coming to rest on its roof in a shallow, dry ditch.

Emergency services were called, but Mr Vatcher died at the scene. It was reported at the time that a passenger of the vehicle, also a man in his 20s, was taken to hospital with injuries which were not thought to be life-threatening.

The A14 remained closed for nine hours while the policing teams investigated the cause of the crash and cleared the road.

Senior Coroner for Suffolk Nigel Parsley opened the inquest into Mr Vatcher’s death before formally suspending it until September 6.