THE drunken driver of a speeding car which crashed into a parked JCB killing himself and two of his passengers had a conviction for drink driving a year before, an inquest heard on Friday, December 14.

Only one man survived the accident in Oxhey Lane, Hatch End, and woke up in intensive care two months later.

Those who died were the driver, Balbinder Singh, 25, of St James Road, Watford; Sukhvinder Mehay, 21, a law student from Hamsworth in Birmingham; and Kulwinder Kaler, 28, a customs and excise worker from West Drayton.

The survivor, Haseeb Alam, now 20, of Durban Road West, Watford, told Hornsey Coroner's Court how he had no memory of the accident on October 29 last year when the speeding Audi ploughed into a parked JCB at 60 miles an hour.

But he recalled: "They were really nice guys."

A report by pathologist Dr Rufus Compton stated Mr Singh died from brain bruising die to a massive skull fracture. He had 256 milligrams of alcohol in his blood more than three times the legal drink driving limit.

Mr Mehay, the front seat passenger, took "the full; brunt of the impact" as the blade of the JCB protruded into his side of the car. He was also over the legal drink drive limit.

He died from multiple injuries, as did Mr Kaler. A "significant amount" of alcohol and a small amount of heroin was found in his blood.

Crash investigator Pc Ian Dale said the group were travelling south along Oxhey Lane towards Harrow when they collided with the seven tonne JCB.

He said "critical curve marks" had been left on the road from the previous T-junction indicating the vehicle had started to go out of control well before the point of impact.

He told the inquest: "While the driver had tried to correct himself, unfortunately his actions were too late."

He said the driver's speed and delayed reaction, probably caused by his level of alcohol, had caused the accident.

The digger was pushed back 1.7 metres as the car was pushed downwards into the road leaving gauge marks on the surface.

PC dale said the driver would "almost certainly" have faced a prosecution of causing death by dangerous driving while under the influence of alcohol, had he survived.

Darren Collinson from Sandy in Bedfordshire discovered the wreckage at about 5.45am as he drove towards Harrow. He said: "I could see a car which was blocking the road in the road works.

"As I got nearer I could see the windscreen had popped and the airbag was deployed. As I got nearer I saw a young lad out the back door and I stopped and phoned 999."

All three were pronounced dead at the scene but Mr Alam, despite suffering multiple fractures and severe head injuries was still breathing and taken to North Middlesex Hospital.

Mr Alam told the inquest the group had been at Riley's club in Watford playing pool the night before the accident and Mr Singh was a "really careful driver because he had just got his licence back".

He said: "We met up outside Balbinder's house. We got into his car at about 8pm that's all I remember. All I remember after that was waking up in hospital."

Mr Alam spent two months in intensive care and a further eight months in a brain injury rehabilitation centre. "That really made me more depressed but I'm grateful because I'm here in one bit.

"Balbinder showed me a lot in life. I was 19 at the time, he was like my big brother. They were really nice guys."

Police sergeant Paul Dennof said Mr Singh had been disqualified from driving for 18 months and fined £250 at Watford Magistrates Court in February 1999 for a drink driving offence. He also had previous convictions for speeding.

Coroner Dr William Dolman recorded verdicts of accidental death on all three.

He said: "What had happened during the events we know not, but it is quite clear that he Mr Singh had consumed alcohol. Where and when, we don't know.

"But this is in the contest of a man that had a drink driving offence a year before.

"There is no doubt his standard of driving had led to the death not only of himself but of Sukhvinder Mehay and Kulwinder Kaler and gravely injured his friend, Haseeb Alam. There is no evidence of any other vehicle being involved."

December 19, 2001 21:30