A 24-year-old man almost twice over the drink-drive limit lost control of his car at 90mph, killing himself and two friends, a Hastings inquest heard.

Driver Robert Larrad, an ice-cream salesman from Stockleigh Road, Leonard Benton, 30, of Marina, both St Leonards, and Jason King, 22, of Maidstone, died when their Lancia Delta Turbo crossed on to the wrong side of the road, hit a barrier and rolled into another car before hitting a wall and bursting into flames.

The crash happened on Queensway, Hastings, at 9.30pm on September 8 last year.

David Loft, of Priory Road, Hastings, told the inquest how a red car smashed into the front of his Vauxhall Vectra as he tried to turn left on to Queensway, which is governed by a 60mph limit.

Mr Loft said: "I looked out of my window and saw someone's limb on the road."

BT engineer Darren McCann, 30, of Hastings, told the inquest how he was driving north on Queensway when he saw headlights behind him approaching fast.

He turned off Queensway to the left as the Lancia crashed past his right-hand side. He said: "The car was airborne. It was upside down. I saw the car hit the wall and then burst into flames."

PC Colin O'Neill, of the crash investigation unit, said that from skid marks on the road, he could calculate that the Lancia was travelling at 94mph when it lost control and struck the barrier.

It then rolled, striking a road sign before slamming into the Vauxhall. He told the families of the dead men that there was no evidence that the driver had tried to brake.

Post-mortems revealed all men died instantly from multiple injuries and brain damage.

Mr Benton lost an arm in the crash. He was twice over the drink-drive limit.

Mr King was four times over the limit. His urine sample showed traces of cannabis.

A sample of blood from Mr Larrad recorded 158mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood. The legal limit is 80mg.

East Sussex deputy coroner Brendan Salsbury said: "Thankfully, death for these three young men would have been instantaneous."

He recorded verdicts of accidental death.

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