Father and son drowned during test drive after Mercedes plunged into canal, inquest told

Sky News

18-06-2025

A father and son drowned after a Mercedes they were test driving hit a telegraph pole and plunged into a canal, an inquest has been told.
Footballer Cameron Walsh, 16, was messaging his friends minutes before the car entered the Louth Canal, in Tetney near Grimsby, Greater Lincolnshire Coroner's Court heard.
His father, David Walsh, 40, was believed to have been driving the vehicle.
A witness who saw the blue Mercedes GLC 300 said it performed a "snaking action" and assumed the driver was "trying to gain control", the inquest heard.
Roberta Smith, who called 999, added that the vehicle "flew off the road and into the canal" and appeared to be "airborne" before it landed "roof first" in the water.
Another witness described seeing a blue car being driven "erratically and at speed".
The inquest heard emergency services were called at 1.38pm on 6 January 2024. Fire crews had to smash a window to gain access to the locked car, which had been collected from a Mercedes dealership.
But by that point the pair had been in the water for up to 45 minutes, the inquest was told.
They were pronounced dead at 2.58pm.
The cause of death for both was recorded as drowning.
Assistant coroner for Greater Lincolnshire, Marianne Johnson, concluded that it was likely David Walsh was driving and the pair died in a road traffic collision.
She added that she would file a prevention of future deaths report, designed to ensure authorities act on issues uncovered during an inquest.
The inquest, attended by friends and relatives of the pair, also heard there were no mechanical defects likely to have contributed to the crash.
Forensic collision investigator PC Nick Prestwich told the hearing that "the collision occurred partly due to the manner of driving".
Speaking about CCTV footage of the car on Tetney Lock Road, Tetney, PC Prestwich said: "You can see that vehicle is swerving around on the road surface. It's my belief the car was driven too fast for the road conditions."
The inquest also heard Cameron Walsh messaged his girlfriend saying that the car was "banging".
He also sent a picture of himself inside the vehicle to a friend via Snapchat one minute before it is believed to have entered the canal.
Tetney Lock Road was described to the inquest as a 60mph single-track road with "no road marks" and warning signs for an uneven surface.
Richard Fenwick, an official from Lincolnshire County Council, said an inspection four days after the incident had identified no safety defects.
A family statement, read to the inquest, described the father and son as "two beautiful people" who were "full of life".
It added: "David was the most selfless person to grace the earth, his kindness was unheard of. He embraced his role as a father figure with unmatched warmth.
"Cameron's personality lit up the darkest of rooms. Cameron was a gentle giant. When you were with Cameron you always knew he was there."
Cameron Walsh, who played for Grimsby Town Football Club, was called an "undeniable talent" and "much-loved figure" by the club in a tribute following his death.