Wisbech teenager drowned after driving over speed limit, inquest hears
Declan Berry was driving a car which entered the River Nene earlier this year
Last updated 22nd Sep 2026
A teenager who died after his car entered the River Nene near Wisbech was travelling over the speed limit before hitting a pothole, an inquest has heard.
Declan Berry, 18, was driving a Volkswagen Polo when the car left the road at around 8.20pm on March 17; his body was found two weeks later.
Four other passengers were also inside the car at the time of the collision.
Three of them survived, but the body of 16-year-old Eden Bunn - of Sutton Bridge - was also recovered from the river.
Huntingdon Coroner's Court heard Declan was with friends at McDonald's in Wisbech before driving towards North Brink on the day of the collision.
Coroner Elizabeth Gray said one of the passengers felt Declan tried "to show off" and told him to slow down after noticing he was driving at high speed.
Ms Gray said Declan replied "we will be fine", before losing control of the car.
The passenger said Declan was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs while driving, and had also gone to visit supermarkets before heading to North Brink.
The inquest heard another passenger questioned Declan's decision to drive along North Brink after leaving McDonald's, recalling there were "no other vehicles on the road".
Ms Gray said this passenger also told Declan to slow down and felt a noise from underneath the car, which they believe was caused by a pothole and that Declan panicked moments before the collision.
The inquest also heard written evidence from Thomas Bilverstone, a local resident, who heard the car travelling down the road and saw the car "rolling through air" before it entered the river.
Mr Bilverstone said he heard "multiple people screaming" as he went to the river bank to help survivors, while emergency services were called to the area.
Ms Gray said a report by Cambridgeshire County Council showed there were nearly 130 complaints around the condition of North Brink before the time of the collision, such as potholes, mud and debris.
The inquest heard that around three weeks of repairs to nearly 100 potholes were due to start on North Brink days before the collision.
Road conditions 'contributed to Declan's death', says coroner
A forensic collision investigation by Cambridgeshire Police found "no evidence that the weather contributed" to Declan's death, while there was "no mechanical defect" on the car.
The report said that North Brink "contained numerous potholes and uneven surfaces", especially near where the collision happened.
The road has a national speed limit of 60mph.
Ms Gray concluded that Declan was driving "at around 90mph before the collision, substantially above the 60mph limit and inappropriate for rural single track roads."
The coroner also said speed and the "poor condition of the road" led to Declan's death.
"I conclude Declan died as a result of a road traffic collision from excessive speed; prevailing road conditions more than minimally contributed to his death," Ms Gray added.
Teenage girl suffered fatal head injury, coroner rules
A separate inquest into Eden's death held today (Tuesday) heard she suffered a fatal head injury after the crash.
Ms Gray said a serious collision report into what happened found Eden was one of three back seat passengers but was unable to escape and her body was recovered by police divers the next day.
The coroner said one of the passengers remembered the "atmosphere was eerie and heard Eden shouting "Declan" just before the crash.
In conclusion, Ms Gray said Eden's death "resulted from a road traffic collision" after the car struck a "road surface defect".
Ms Gray added that "speed was the primary cause for the collision directly leading to Eden's death."