Two lifelong friends were killed in a horror smash with a lorry as they made their way home from a takeaway.
Adam Shiers, 25, was driving his friends, Liam Ward and Jamie Knox, when his car crashed into the back of a HGV on the M57 in Merseyside. The car burst into flames on the carriageway following the crash on the evening of February 3.
Adam and Liam, 24, who was travelling as a front seat passenger in the black Seat, both died at the scene near to junction 6 for Kirkby. Their friend Jamie managed to free himself from the car.
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An inquest at Sefton Coroner's Court today (Tuesday) heard that Adam died from multiple injuries, the Liverpool ECHO reports.
The hearing was told how the three friends, who grew up together, had been for food at Beat Chicken on College Road in Waterloo that evening. They ate in the car before making their way home so Adam could get changed in time for a leaving do for a friend, who was going to Australia.
In a statement read out in court, Jamie said they joined the M57 and were travelling in lane three. He said: "I think we may have been going a bit faster than 70mph but can't be sure."
As the car changed lanes, Jamie described hearing the sound of a loud bang and put his hands up onto the seats in front of him. The inquest heard how the car started suddenly going to the left as a tyre blew out, before it crashed into a HGV that was travelling at 55mph in lane one.
In a statement read out in court, the HGV driver described seeing car headlights coming towards him in his left side mirror before the car disappeared from view. The driver said he felt the impact of the crash and while his steering was fine, it felt like the trailer attached to his vehicle was dragging.
He pulled onto the hard shoulder where he saw the black Seat car "embedded into the back of the trailer." The inquest heard how a lot of smoke was seen coming from the car before it burst into flames.
Jamie managed to get out of the car and spoke to the HGV driver, who waited with him until emergency services arrived. Paramedics attended and Adam and Liam were pronounced dead at the scene at 9.55pm.
Toxicology reports showed Adam had no sign of any alcohol or drugs including prescription drugs in his system at the time of the crash. Both vehicles were also sent for an examination which found the HGV had no mechanical defects which would have caused the crash.
However, the nearside tyre of the Seat was found to have suffered a blow out which caused Adam to lose control of the car.
Coroner Graham Jackson said: "While the evidence is that Adam was driving down the motorway in excess of that 70mph limit, I'm satisfied that it was the tyre blow out which was the reason for the catastrophic events that followed, resulting in the death of not only Adam but also his friend Liam.
"The evidence I've heard is absolutely dreadful. I can't imagine what you as the family have gone through."
Coroner Jackson recorded the cause of death as due to a road traffic collision.
In a statement shared following Adam's death in February, his family described him as "one of the nicest and kindest people you could ever meet." They said Adam "loved his football, especially Liverpool FC" as they called on Liverpool and Everton fans to applaud him during the Merseyside Derby on February 13.
