Coroner Links Social Media 'Showing Off' to Fatal Teen Crash
A coroner has issued a stark warning that the social media clamour for likes and comments through risky driving videos and selfies could be contributing to fatal road collisions. The warning follows an inquest into the deaths of three teenagers in a horrific crash in Warwickshire.
A History of Bad Driving and a Fatal Journey
The tragedy occurred on the B4035 between Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, and Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire, in April 2023. Edward Spencer, then 17, was driving his Ford Fiesta home from school with three fellow sixth-form students from Chipping Campden School as passengers.
Spencer had passed his driving test just six weeks earlier. The court heard he had a history of 'bad driving' and 'showing off' behind the wheel, evidenced by social media posts. One video showed him overtaking a mobility scooter at over 50mph prior to the crash. Another featured him bragging about reversing so fast he was 'going to crash'.
On that day, Spencer lost control of the car, which violently swerved across the road and collided with an oncoming Fiat at an estimated 64mph on a 60mph limit road. Passengers Matilda Seccombe, 16, Harry Purcell, 17, and Frank Wormald, 16, all suffered traumatic head injuries and died.
Warnings Ignored and a Call for Action
The inquest at Coventry Coroner's Court heard chilling evidence that the dangers were known. Matilda, known as Tilly, had sent Spencer a message raising concerns about his driving, to which he replied: 'Don't underestimate me'.
Her mother, Juliet Seccombe, later found Snapchat messages where Tilly told Spencer after a prior near-miss: 'You could have rolled the car, and I will kill you if we don't die ourselves'. Tilly had also written to a friend, stating, 'It won't be long for me with Ed's driving'.
After recording a conclusion of road traffic collision, assistant coroner Linda Lee said she would issue a Prevention of Future Deaths report. She noted that while past motoring deaths often involved racing, 'it now seems to be silly things (like) taking selfies... It is showing off. The videos get likes and comments, which drives the requirement.'
She was urged by the Purcell family's solicitor, Patrick Maguire, to contact social media companies, arguing that such footage 'subconsciously validates and encourages others' and firms may have a duty to remove it.
The victims' families have called for graduated driving licences and black box technology to mitigate risks posed by new, young drivers. Statistics show young male car drivers (17-24) are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than drivers aged 25+.
Earlier this year, Spencer, now 19 and a farmer's son from Newbold on Stour, pleaded guilty to three counts of causing death by careless driving. He was sentenced to two years in a young offenders' institution, given an eight-year driving ban, and must take an extended test if he reapplies for a licence.
