A 21-YEAR-OLD motorist died when his car hit a wall beside the A140 and overturned, an inquest heard.Alexander Parish, from Felixstowe, was driving home in the early hours of November 30 last year from a night out in Norwich when the crash happened.

A 21-YEAR-OLD motorist died when his car hit a wall beside the A140 and overturned, an inquest heard.

Alexander Parish, from Felixstowe, was driving home in the early hours of November 30 last year from a night out in Norwich when the crash happened.

He was thrown from the Vauxhall Corsa he was driving when it hit a wall at a property in Stonham Parva.

The inquest in Lowestoft was told Mr Parish had driven to Norwich with two close friends, Gavin Minns and Tony Gavin, to celebrate another friend's birthday.

They had taken their sleeping bags with them because they thought they would be staying at another friend's house in the city, but later decided to make the trip home at 3.30am rather than stay over.

As they drove home, the car swerved along the road before hitting a wall at the Four Elms property. Mr Parish and Mr Gavin, neither of whom were wearing seatbelts, were thrown out of the vehicle.

Mr Parish, who was thrown on to the road, died from multiple injuries, a pathologist's report said.

Tests at the Imperial College in London found his blood alcohol level was 114 milligrams in 100mls of blood - the legal limit is 80 milligrams.

Investigating officer, Pc John Payne, said it was unlikely there had been any other vehicles involved and added the car had been in a roadworthy condition and there had been no obvious difficulties with the road surface.

He said Mr Parish may have been confused by two lights at the entrance of Four Elms, causing him to swerve.

Mr Parish's father, Ralph, said he thought the accident was likely to have been caused by tiredness as his son had been up early the previous day.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Lowestoft coroner George Leguen de Lacroix said Mr Parish and his friends must have been tired after the day's activities.

“Both passengers had already fallen asleep. It is not unreasonable to suggest he had as well,” he added.

“It would only be right for me to say that this in perhaps another example of the hazards of driving and drinking.

“The amount of alcohol was not excessive, but certainly would have impaired Alex, coupled with the fact that it was in the early hours of the morning.”

Mr Parish's parents, Ralph and Angela, of Leopold Road, Felixstowe, had been in Nottingham visiting their other son, Tom, 18, who was in hospital after breaking a leg, when they heard about the accident.

Their 21-year-old son was a former pupil of Colneis Junior School and Deben High School in Felixstowe and was on a four-year engineering course at Loughborough University.

He was also a keen sportsman who enjoyed football, hockey, swimming, squash and water polo.