A RAILWAY worker was nearly twice the drink-drive limit when his car left the road and hit a tree, an inquest heard

Charles Lamont, of Hayes Road, Clacton, died on November 18 last year after his silver BMW veered off the A12 at Capel St Mary.

An inquest heard Mr Lamont was driving southbound on the A12 at around 7.45am when his vehicle left the road, travelled down an embankment and hit a tree causing him to be thrown from the vehicle.

Greater Suffolk coroner Dr Peter Dean said Mr Lamont, 49, was not found until 4.30pm after a driver saw a car upside down in a field.

Shortly after, he was pronounced dead at the scene by East of England Ambulance Service paramedics.

A post mortem revealed Mr Lamont had 146 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood meaning he was nearly twice the legal limit.

He was not wearing a seatbelt.

The cause of death was given as massive multiple injuries.

A statement from Pc Jeffrey Cribb, forensic collision investigator with Suffolk police, was read by Dr Dean and said there were no mechanical defects with the vehicle.

It said: “The front collided with a fence bordering a field.

“The car continued spinning before hitting a tree and as such was the damage of the impact that the car split in two.”

Dr Dean recorded a verdict of accidental death.