LAUGHING, joking and high on drugs while driving was how two young friends spent their last moments before they sped to their deaths.

Harrowing video released yesterday revealed how driver Kyle Careford, 20, and his friend Michael Owen, 21, died instantly when a red Renault Clio they were in crashed into a church wall in the early hours of Sunday, April 12, and overturned.

The pair had taken a "cocktail" of prescribed and illegal drugs and Mr Careford did not have a driving licence or insurance when he took to the wheel of his friend's car and drove at 90mph through Sussex countryside, an inquest heard.

"Slow down, slow down" as they neared a bend and then "keep going, keep going", "pass him, pass him" and "You're doing 90" are just some of the snatches of conversation as Mr Owen filmed the pair joking and singing along to rap music while he appeared to give Mr Careford driving lessons.

 

The pair passed through Rotherfield, overtaking cars, moving onto the wrong side of the road and racing through 30 mph limits. A taxi driver is forced off the road, according to the inquest, and they are spotted doing doughnuts in a car park, before arriving in Jarvis Brook where they crashed into the wall at St Michael and All Saints Church.

There is a crackle and then silence as the two men, who had been wearing seat belts, die instantly. Later a woman's voice can be heard saying: "Can you hear me? An ambulance is coming? Can anyone in there hear me?"

The drugs resulted in "severe toxicity" for both the friends, from Royal Tunbridge Wells but staying in Crowborough, an a "severely detrimental effect" on Mr Careford's ability to control the car, the inquest heard.

Yesterday Sussex Police said their families agreed the video could be released to warn against driving dangerously.  

Mr Owen's mother Kat said she "blamed them both" for the decisions they made that night.

She said: "We bring our children up teaching them right from wrong. We guide them and give them our advice and hope they listen, but once they are adults we hope they make the right choices.

"If all this stops one person from making the same mistake, then some good has come from showing this video."

She urged young people to "take notice and realise they were not invincible" and remember how precious life is.

Lauren Humble, Michael Owen's ex-partner, said the video was "heartbreaking" but gave the answers that were needed about what happened the night he died.

She added: "The Michael we saw on that video was not the Michael we knew who was a loving, caring responsible Daddy. The legacy that Michael has left is our beautiful daughter Lily-Rose who is 5-years-old, she will have to live with the impact of this horrific situation forever."

Zac Hemming, Mr Careford's brother, said: "This footage or anything of its kind should never be recorded, let alone watched. However, despite the pain of it being broadcast by the media, we as a family just hope and pray that this will connect with at least one person out there, young or old, so that no-one ever has to experience the unthinkable pain of losing someone so close and dearly loved."

Chief Inspector Phil Nicholas, of the Surrey and Sussex road policing unit, said both the families were courageous for releasing the video.

The coroner recorded a verdict of death by road traffic collision for both men.

Sussex Police warned people they may find the footage distressing.