Men killed in crash on A11 Mildenhall near Fiveways roundabout had taken recreational drugs before the collision

A scaffolder whose van crashed into the back of a lorry, killing him and his friend instantly, had taken recreational drugs before the collision, an inquest has heard.

Michael Glover, 41 from London, was driving a white Maxus flatbed southbound on the A11 in Mildenhall near the Fiveways roundabout on May 30 last year, with his friend and colleague Jordan Chaffe, 27, in the passenger seat.

An inquest held at Suffolk Coroner's Court today was told that despite the efforts of passers-by, police, ambulance crews, firefighters and an air ambulance, the men were both pronounced dead at the scene.

Coroner Nigel Parsley, who called the deaths a tragedy, ruled the pair died of extensive injuries as the result of a road traffic collision.

And in a statement, Mr Chaffe's mother said: "Jordan was so kind and willing to help out others, and was a light in our world and meant so much to all that knew him."

"We will forever have a piece of our hearts missing now that he is gone."

The inquest heard that Mr Glover, a father-of-three, had been driving in the fast lane of the road and did not react to vehicles that were slowing ahead of him due to traffic building from the roundabout.

His van hit the back left of a red Range Rover which had come to a stop in front of him, and then swerved into the slow lane where it ploughed into the back of a Scania lorry, crushing the cab.

In a statement read to the court, the driver of the Range Rover, David Gibb, said he noticed the flatbed coming towards him at speed in his rear view mirror, and tried to move into the central reservation to avoid it when he realised it wasn't slowing down.

He said the van didn't appear to brake as it careered into the lorry.

Eyewitnesses told the court they ran to check on the men while calling 999, but found them both to be unresponsive with visible serious injuries. They described being unable to get to the men as the doors of the van were crushed closed.

The court heard a postmortem examination of Mr Glover found extensive injuries, particularly to his ribs, chest and heart. Toxicology investigations also found he had cocaine and cannabis metabolites in his system at the time of the crash.

Mr Chaffe, who was due to become a father at the time of his death, suffered extensive injuries to his chest and neck. He also had recreational drugs in his system at the time of his death.

PC Mark Head, forensic collision investigator, said they found neither of the men were wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

He told the court investigators found tyre marks made by tyres turning rapidly and at speed, but couldn't find any evidence to suggest Mr Glover had been attempting to brake at the time.

He also revealed there were no issues with either the Maxus flatbed or the Scania lorry which could have contributed to the incident, and said tests found road conditions provided a good ability for braking and steering.

When asked if he thought the recreational drugs in Mr Glover's system could have contributed to the deaths, he said: "I certainly don't think it could be ruled out."

Coroner Nigel Parsley recorded Mr Chaffe's death as a road traffic collision, and found his medical cause of death to be severe head, neck and chest injuries as a result of the crash.

He ruled Mr Glover's death was the result of a road traffic collision, with his medical cause of death found to be severe chest injuries as a result of the crash, contributed to in some way by recent ingestion of cannabis and cocaine.

He said: "This is the tragic death of two individuals that were work colleagues and friends. It really is a particularly tragic and sad case."