Tributes paid to highly regarded vet who died after losing control of BMW

A talented vet is likely to have died instantly when erratic driving caused his car to veer off the road and crash into a tree – while he was over the drink-drive limit, an inquest heard.

Ben Mason, from Liskeard, was just 30 years old when he lost his life on April 18, 2023, after his car came hurtling off the road at St Ive, and collided with a tree just before midnight. Two other young men, aged 16 and 18, who were in the same car, were also killed in the crash.

Meanwhile, four teenagers, all aged between 15 and 16, who were in a second vehicle, were all arrested at the time.

An inquest held today (June 17) at Cornwall Coroner’s Court concluded that the veterinary surgeon probably died upon impact after losing control of his vehicle. The initial inquest focused on Ben’s death, while a separate inquest is being conducted to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Jamie Lane and Luke Warner, who were passengers in his car at the time.

Police constable Helen Lentern, the officer assigned to the case, led a comprehensive investigation following the triple fatality. She informed the court that Ben Mason had been driving his Black BMW M135i with passengers Jamie and Luke, while four juvenile occupants were in a separate silver Audi, travelling along the same 50mph road.

CCTV footage tracked the movements of both vehicles, including their presence at Kit Hill before heading to Callington, and finally being spotted in St Ive where the tragic collision took place. The teenagers in the second vehicle were not at the scene during the crash but stumbled upon the wreckage shortly afterwards, reports Cornwall Live.

PC Lentern informed the court that CCTV captured both cars in Callington prior to the accident – however, police were unable to determine their speed. A comprehensive investigation revealed that Ben failed to navigate a left-hand bend, resulting in a head-on collision with a tree on the opposite side of the road in St Ive.

Ben was more than double the drink-drive limit when he crashed his car into a tree after driving "erratically", an inquest heard
Ben was more than double the drink-drive limit when he crashed his car into a tree after driving “erratically”, an inquest heard
(Image: Adrian Jasper)

The inquiry established that both Ben and Jamie had their seatbelts fastened, whereas Luke, seated in the back, did not. Following the crash, the driver of the second car discovered the wreck, stopped, and attempted to open the doors of Ben’s BMW while the teenagers were “shouting at” the three individuals inside the vehicle.

They recounted seeing smoke emanating from the car before they departed the scene. During a police interview, they stated their belief that all three occupants were deceased when they left.

The court was informed that the driver of the second vehicle had taken his mother’s car without her permission while she was on holiday.

During police interviews, the four passengers inside the Audi – two boys and two girls – described Ben’s driving as “erratic”. They recollected instances where he would pause to let them pass, only for him to overtake dangerously, nearly leading to a head-on collision with another car on one occasion.

In the aftermath of the tragic incident, PC Lentern highlighted that a major factor in the investigation was whether there was any racing happening between the two vehicles. Despite the efforts, officers were unable to definitively establish this.

All four accounts given by the teenagers were interpreted as “fairly consistent”, each stating that while Ben was driving erratically, they were not.

The youngsters also claimed they made calls to those in the BMW persuading them to reduce their speed. Upon examination, authorities managed to retrieve logs from seven mobile phones that confirmed the phone calls between the parties; however, the content wasn’t obtainable.

Only one mobile was recovered from the wreckage, which was too damaged to provide any meaningful insight into the enquiry.

Additionally, part of the investigation led to the discovery of a video sent by Ben to a friend a day before the catastrophic accident. In it, he boasted about reaching speeds up to 160mph and confidently claimed that he could “handle more”.

The video footage revealed his speedometer and him nonchalantly expressing that such high speeds “felt like nothing” to him.

Furthermore, a toxicology report revealed that at the time of the crash in St Ive, Ben’s blood-alcohol level was over twice the legal limit, which PC Lentern noted would have certainly led to slower reaction times and posed an increased risk.

Stephen Covell, assistant coroner for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, concluded that the death was due to a road traffic collision. He characterised the driving as “an erratic and dangerous mode of driving and totally unnecessary.”

“I find that in the period from 10pm until the time of the accident, Ben was driving his BMW in an erratic manner in the company of another vehicle, engaged in dangerous overtaking manoeuvres, and his blood alcohol was in excess of the legal limit that would have affected his decision making,” he stated.

In the wake of the tragedy, Ben’s family has paid a heartfelt tribute to their beloved son and brother, describing him as “highly regarded” by friends and colleagues, and someone who “lived life to the full”.

“Ben was a loving son and brother, who was highly regarded amongst his friends and colleagues,” they shared. “He lived his life to the full, always longing for adventure and had keen passion for travel.”

The tribute continued: “Throughout his life he cared deeply for all animals great and small. He was well known for his infectious smile and cheeky sense of humour. A talented and dedicated soul has left this world too early and will forever be missed by those who loved him.”

Plymouth Live – | News