An inquest has heard the harrowing final moments of two teenagers who drowned after a car overturned into a water-filled drainage ditch in Kent, while a third passenger survived after being trapped for almost three hours. Kent and Medway Coroner’s Court heard how Adam Dudzinski, 17, and his girlfriend Chloe-Ann Naylor, 16, died after the blue Ford Fiesta they were travelling in left Old Ferry Road, Iwade, near Sittingbourne, at around 8.30pm on 3 January. A 16-year-old girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, survived the crash and later gave a moving account of the terrifying ordeal.
Car overturned into drainage ditch
Coroner Ian Potter heard Adam had been driving Chloe and their friend to Chloe’s home in Sittingbourne after the three had spent the evening together. The court was told Adam, who did not hold a driving licence and was uninsured, lost control of the Ford Fiesta on a sharp bend along the dark rural road. The vehicle overturned and came to rest upside down in a drainage ditch filled with water, trapping all three occupants inside.
Survivor recalls terrifying ordeal
In a statement read to the court, the surviving passenger said Adam had been driving quickly but was not speeding. She said he attempted to slow down but failed to brake in time for the bend before the car left the road. The teenager described preparing herself to drown before Chloe tapping her leg gave her the courage to release her seatbelt. While trapped inside the submerged vehicle, she recalled Adam repeatedly saying:
“I am sorry, I am so sorry.”
She also described Chloe desperately trying to keep Adam’s head above the rising water while repeatedly calling out to her friend before eventually falling silent.
Rescue after phone tracking app
The court heard the survivor’s father became concerned when his daughter’s location stopped updating on the Life360 mobile phone app. He travelled to the last recorded location shortly before midnight and discovered the overturned vehicle partially submerged in the ditch. Emergency services, including police, firefighters, paramedics and HM Coastguard, rushed to the scene. Despite their efforts, Adam and Chloe were pronounced dead after drowning. The surviving teenager was rescued and later discharged from hospital.
Investigation findings
Collision investigators found no evidence Adam had been exceeding the speed limit but concluded he had likely been travelling too fast for the road conditions. The court also heard police sought to prosecute Adam’s legal guardian for allegedly permitting him to drive while uninsured and without a licence. However, the Crown Prosecution Service determined there was insufficient evidence to bring charges.
Accidental death conclusion
Recording verdicts of accidental death, Coroner Ian Potter expressed his condolences to the three families. He said:
“This is a very tragic state of circumstances and I cannot begin to imagine what the three families have been through.”
Following the tragedy, floral tributes were left at the scene in Old Ferry Road, while more than £15,000 was raised through fundraising campaigns to support the families of Adam and Chloe.
