“Speed kills” – that was the warning issued by HM Senior Coroner Caroline Sumeray during the inquest into a fatal road traffic collision that claimed the lives of 2 young Islanders in Whippingham back in 2022.
Nearly 4 years after the tragic incident, an inquest into the death of 20-year-old Owen Bartlett and 20-year-old Taylor Antwiss was concluded at the Isle of Wight Coroners Court in Newport yesterday (Wednesday).
As previously reported by Island Echo, it was on the afternoon of 11th January 2022, at around 13:00, that emergency services were called to a serious 2-vehicle road traffic collision on Whippingham Road, involving a Honda Civic and a Toyota Proace van.
The collision saw the Honda, driven by Bartlett, lose control and collide at an almost 90-degree angle with the panel van, driven by Steven Miller, travelling the other way.
Members of the pubic, followed by a plethora of emergency service personnel, did their best to save the lives of Owen and Taylor, but sadly, nothing could be done and they were both pronounced dead at the scene.
HM Senior Coroner for the Isle of Wight, Caroline Sumeray, detailed that Dr Adnan Al-Badri carried out post-mortem examinations on 19th January 2022 at St Mary’s Hospital. Those examinations concluded that Bartlett died as a result of severe traumatic chest and abdominal injuries and Antwiss of multiple traumatic injuries.
During the inquest, the court heard witness statements from more than 20 people including paramedics, police officers, firefighters and members of the public who were first on scene.
Among the first to be read was the statement of delivery driver Mr Miller, the driver of the Toyota van.
Mr Miller, who had just delivered to commercial premises in East Cowes, was on his way to Fishbourne at the time of the collision. The court heard how, as he travelled along Whippingham Road, he witnessed a car being driven at what he thought to be ‘excessive speed’. As the car approached, the back end slid out and the car rotated towards the front of Mr Miller’s van.
Upon the impact between the front of his van and the passenger side of the Honda, the airbags in Mr Miller’s van deployed. Despite being briefly trapped inside the stricken works vehicle, Mr Miller was able to climb out of a window. Mr Miller visited St Mary’s Hospital, where he was treated for bruising and lacerations.
Other witnesses said the car was travelling at “well over 50mph,” and “potentially over 80mph” before it lost control.
The inquest heard that Bartlett’s car had been the subject of both interior and exterior modifications, including the addition of an aftermarket steering wheel and removal of several airbags – something Ms Sumeray said was ‘not a smart thing to do’.
HM Coroner Ms Sumeray told the court that the damage to the involved vehicles were among the worst she had seen.
Laura Bailey, Forensic Collision Investigator with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, told the court that there was no suggestion of airbag deployment within the vehicle and that although it wasn’t possible to conclude that the vehicle was being driven at an excessive speed, for the vehicle to enter a state of yaw, it would suggest excessive speed.
Ms Bailey reassured Mr Miller’s family that he couldn’t have done any more to prevent the collision.
Senior Coroner Sumeray brought the inquest to a close by noting that the collision was ‘horrendous’ and its outcome ‘heartbreaking’, adding that the biggest issue in this case was the ‘speed and loss of control of the Honda’.
She explained that the inquest had been delayed due to a part from one of the involved vehicles – which had been sent off for testing – getting lost in Europe, despite the item being tracked.
Ms Sumerary concluded that both Bartlett and Antwiss died as a result of a road traffic collision.
Condolences were offered to the families of those involved.
Oh! The irony! “Speed Kills” says the Coroner. Is this supposed to be the outcome to a case or the justification for why she has taken four years to conduct and inquest?
Speeding does kill, it’s high time the authorities
addressed the speeding issues on the island.
I cannot believe in 2025 there are no speed cameras
on the island.
was all gone.
Its all in the story, and they were the facts. (SPEED KILLS)
Speeding is rife on the island
Finally someone on my wavelength, speeding does Kill.
It’s about time whoever on the islamd is responding
for road safety acts.
Time to install speed cameras and speed humps.
Make motorists pay for the safety required.
ULEZ / CONGESTION CHARGES and ISLANDWIDE
PERMIT PARKING would help pay for the works to be
carried out.
Road safety is imperative.
Speed humps are not good for emergency vehicles.
Too be honest if the island had speed cameras like
the big smoke has, then speeding WOULD stop!
It is high time the council find the money to install
cameras and make our roads safe.
Ridiculous. Think about what you’ve just written and placed in the public domain.
Some modifications had been carried out, “Removal of air bags”? Until now, I had not realised that there were people around that were insane enough to do this. Sorry, but this twat deserves all he got.
Are you serious?! Nobody deserves to die, how heartless are you… Next time, think about what you write. Disgraceful.
It has taken me this long to be able to look at this article, I now know why i was advised not to, That ‘twat’ you so eloquently refer to, was my beautiful kind, considerate son, His vehicle may have been very noisy as a result of a modified exhaust, but as you have no idea why he had changed his steering wheel, subsequently resulting in the lack of drivers airbag, i suggest you keep your revolting comments to yourself. Two young men lost their lives that day. And believe me, there’s a lot this shitty article didnt say.
Johanna ignore him. This is a 100 year old, disabled old fart from Lavender road, Waterlooville, who in his spare time puts notes on cars citing parking violations. His biggest claim to fame is that his grandad grew an apple in Bembridge. His own son moved to the states to get away from him and he even had to put out a county press article looking for mates. He wouldn’t be speaking the same way if this was his granddaughter Jess.
So sorry for your loss.
They were kids. 2 families sons. What a truly disgusting thing to say.
4 years?
Speed doesn’t really kill. It’s the stopping instantly that does the damage…
RIP lads, and condolences to all who suffered as a result.
Speeding does kill, look what happened to poor
Paul Walker.
Not just speed that kills, just this morning I was overtaken by a car on a blind bend, there is no way the driver could see round that corner, a pure gamble with all our lives! and that sort of thing is happening all over the Island! It is scary out on the roads!
There are so many numpties who don’t mind risking their
own lives, but they are risking innocent peoples lives.
These numpties need banging up and banned from
driving for life.
How can we stop these numpties, there is not enough
law on our roads so Cameras are our only hope.
Gigabit was rolled out islandwide, so the technology is ready
and waiting.
I suppose they are waiting for digital ID’s to be mandated.
13th November, in the hospital carpark exiting at the Dodnor end and sticking to the 5-10mph limit and some Posh Numpty thought it would be wise to overtake me!!!!!
IN THE CARPARK. Shocking and impatient!!!!!!
If you read this, you know who you are.