Two teenagers died after speeding driver 'hit a pothole and lost control' before plunging into river, inquest hears

Two teenagers died after the speeding driver of a car hit a pothole that caused the vehicle to flip and roll into a river, an inquest has heard. Declan Berry, 18, died after his blue Volkswagen Polo crashed into the River Nene at North Brink near Wisbech St Mary in Cambridgeshire on March 17, with five teenagers onboard. The body of 16-year-old Eden Bunn, from Sutton Bridge in Lincolnshire, was recovered from the car a day later while two girls, both 16, and an 18-year-old man escaped from the car with non-life-threatening injuries.Mr Berry's body, however, remained missing and was located and recovered two weeks later in the river near Wisbech on March 31, following extensive searches by the police and fire service.The road Declan was driving on, which had a 60mph speed limit, had 'numerous potholes' and 'uneven surfaces along its length', evidence in court revealed. There had previously been more than 100 reported complaints regarding the condition of the road on North Brink.Work to fix the road was due to take place but only occurred after the crash, the court heard. Witnesses explained that the front seat passenger believed Declan wanted to 'show off' and noticed that he was driving at around 90mph before the collision. Declan Berry, 18, died after the car he was driving plunged into the River Nene killing him, Eden Bunn, 16, and injuring three teenagers A day after the crash the body of 16-year-old Eden Bunn from Sutton Bridge was recovered from the vehicle that was 'fully submerged' in waterThey said a pothole possibly caused the vehicle to 'suddenly lose control'. They heard Declan say 'Oh s***' before the collision. Detective Constable Les Ellmer said in court that the vehicle had rolled and entered the river when it became 'fully submerged'. One front seat passenger and two rear seat passengers exited the vehicle. The vehicle was registered to Declan, who had a full driving licence and three penalty points. All occupants were wearing seatbelts except one of the rear seat passengers. A witness statement from one of the rear seat passengers read out in court said there was no music playing which they felt was 'unusual', adding that the atmosphere felt 'eerie'. The witness statement explained that the passenger did not express concern about the speed and was 'accustomed' to Declan driving fast. A second rear passenger said they recalled the vehicle 'flipping' and 'rolled' before entering the river. At one point, the witness believed they 'may not be able to escape'.A nearby local named Thomas, who was adjacent to the River Nene, said he heard a 'loud impact', describing the vehicle as 'rolling through the air'. He contacted emergency services and located three of the occupants.A post-mortem examination determined that Declan's cause of death was drowning. Coroner Gray concluded that Declan died as a result of a road traffic collision. Pictured: Declan Berry in the blue Volkswagen Polo that crashed into the River Nene on March 17 The vehicle's speed was deemed the 'most significant' contributory factor, with the presence of potholes acting as another contributory factor.Coroner Gray said the car had been driven at an 'excessive' and 'inappropriate speed'. The inquest heard that had Declan been driving at a reduced speed, it would have been 'unlikely' that the loss of control and rollover would have been so severe. Declan was set to join the army later this summer after taking part in a recruitment trial in Birmingham, which would have seen him 'fulfilling his dream', according to his older brother Connor. In a moving tribute, Connor described Declan 'as full of life, and always joking' and said he had a great sense of humour and, like many of his friends, was into his cars. Connor, who worked alongside Declan in his garden services business, said he came from a hardworking family. Five days before the crash on March 12, his brother posted an 18th birthday celebration for Declan on Facebook, with a picture of him sitting in a blue Volkswagen Polo.Declan's family and relatives later posted photographs and laid flowers at the side of the River Nene on March 19 before his body was found.In another tribute, Ms Bunn's 'devastated' family described their daughter, sister and auntie as the 'kindest, most loving girl'.The post read: 'Eden was the kindest, most loving girl we could ever wish for.'Her horses – Daisy and Dolly – were her world, and she was ours. Words cannot describe the tragedy that will stay with us until we are able to meet her again.'