EXCESSIVE speed, drink and drugs played a part in a car crash which killed two Black Country friends on the night before Christmas Eve, an inquest heard.

Sandwell Coroners Court heard the Citroen ZX, in which driver Karl Green and passenger Andrew Wheeler were travelling, was going at more than double the average speed when it crashed in Brettell Lane, Brierley Hill, in the final minutes of December 23 last year.

Mr Wheeler, aged 28, of Stourbridge, who was a passenger in the car, died instantly on impact – while 34-year-old Mr Green, of Brierley Hill, who was driving, died moments later at the scene.

Police Constable Kate Hall told the inquest police were alerted at 11.59pm on December 23.

She told the court the car was being driven by Mr Green, without tax or insurance, towards Brierley Hill from Amblecote when – on a slight bend – it left the road, struck a kerb and careered straight into a wall.

PC Hall said: “A section of CCTV showed the car going out of sight and then rebounding back.

“We don’t know the exact speed the car was going, but according to the CCTV the average car goes though the shot at 49 frames. The ZX went through at 19 frames. Therefore they were driving more than double the average speed on that road.”

She said witnesses told police Mr Wheeler had been in a pub for four hours before being picked up by Mr Green at 8.40pm.

They went to a friend’s house in Pensnett where the pair started to argue, but they left together at 11.30pm.

The friend told police he was unsure what had happened to Mr Green and Mr Wheeler between the time they left his house and the time of the crash.

PC Hall said: “Two witnesses, Thomas Matthews and Kirsty Richards, did not see or hear the collision but they were driving a vehicle on Delph Road and turned onto Brettell Lane just after it occurred.

“Kirsty’s attention was diverted onto the other side of the road where she could see a parked vehicle. They thought the car had crashed and the passengers had abandoned it.

“They said the driver was moaning and trapped inside the car. That was also when they realised there was a passenger inside the vehicle.

“They phoned the ambulance service but as the vehicle was so badly damaged the witnesses couldn’t get to them.

“It appeared both men were wearing their seatbelts, and the ambulance service confirmed there were no other cars around at the time of the collision.”

Following blood tests, a toxicology report revealed Mr Wheeler had 200 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood – two-and-a-half times the legal limit of 80.

Mr Green was slightly over the limit with 98 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood and he also tested positive for cannabis.

Senior coroner for the Black Country, Zafar Siddique, concluded: “The driver lost control of the vehicle and both men died of their injuries.

“Both were over the drink driving limit and the driver also tested positive for cannabis.

“Drink and cannabis did play a factor in this case, as well as excessive speed.”