Five of the victims were travelling in the same black BMW

The victims died when a BMW driven by 19-year-old Mitch Treliving crashed into an oncoming Land Rover Freelander on the A23 in East Sussex last May.

He was killed along with his four passengers, as were three other people, including a toddler, in the Land Rover.

An unlawful killing verdict was refused on the grounds of insufficient proof.

'Gross negligence'

At the inquest in Worthing, West Sussex, the coroner, Roger Stone, failed to reach a conclusive verdict and instead recorded a narrative verdict on all eight deaths.

He indicated that Mr Treliving was "more likely than not" to have been travelling about the speed limit.

Those killed in the car with Mr Treliving, who was from Faygate, near Horsham, were Aaron Sharpe, 20, Katherine Sharpe, 18, Danielle Billingham 17, and Gemma Smoker, 17, all from the Crawley area.

If you drive in the way that has been described, it's inevitable that an incident will occur Mr Stone, coroner

Kate Beasley, 29, and her husband Toby Beasley, 33, from Godalming in Surrey, and two-year-old Marcus Mohabir, who were all in the Land Rover Freelander, also died.

The only survivor, Marcus' father Stephen Mohabir, 36, from Godalming, suffered a fractured leg.

Jasmine Murphy, representing Mrs Beasley's family, urged the coroner to reach a verdict of unlawful killing on the basis there had been gross negligence.

The inquest had earlier heard from other drivers who told how the BMW had been seen travelling at high speed and "tailgating" other cars.

Sympathy for families

But the coroner, Mr Stone, said an unlawful killing verdict required evidence that was beyond reasonable doubt, and that standard had not been achieved.

"It's right to say that the roads these days are the most dangerous we've ever had.

"If you drive in the way that has been described, it's inevitable that an incident will occur," he said.

Speaking after the hearing, Mitch's father Kevin Treliving, 51, from Crawley, said his son had not been "all bad".

"He did not go out to injure anyone that day or any other day," he said.

Mr Mohabir said he accepted that Mr Treliving did not intend to crash his car, and had paid for doing so with his life.

He added: "If you do feel sympathy for our families and friends, please drive slower and safer because I know this will happen again to someone else."