Young farmer took own life after panicking about car crash

The mother of Jack Thomas told the coroner she thought her son panicked after being involved in a road crash

A young farmer in Cornwall took his own life after leaving the scene of a car crash in a panic, a coroner has concluded.

The body of 21-year-old Jack Thomas was found in Blackwater on 11 June 2023.

He had been involved in a collision at 03:30 BST that day and had left the scene of the accident near Chiverton Cross, near Truro.

Cornwall Coroner's Court heard that Mr Thomas' blood alcohol reading was 13mg above the legal limit.

'Bright young man'

Mr Thomas had been driving back to Sennen after a weekend with friends at the Royal Cornwall Show when the crash took place.

The inquest heard that Mr Thomas suffered a head wound in the head-on collision.

The hearing in Truro was also told his blood alcohol level was 93mg per 100ml after he had been to a young farmers' party. The drink-drive limit is is 80mg.

It heard one of Mr Thomas' friends had been jailed for six years for causing death by dangerous driving in a separate incident.

Mr Thomas' mother, Rachel, told the coroner she thought her son panicked because of what happened to his friend.

She said her son was a bright young man who was studying agriculture at university and wanted to return to Cornwall to work on the family farm.

The senior coroner for Cornwall, Andrew Cox, said Mr Thomas had been drinking the night before and then decided to drive home.

Mr Cox said Mr Thomas was involved in the collision and panicked because he had been drinking, so he then left the scene and took his own life.

He recorded a conclusion of suicide.