Car 'flew into air' killing four in Oxfordshire crash

Four people died when their car "went into the air" in a head-on collision, a coroner has found.

Sam Kay, 26, from Crawley, Samuel Jones, 23, Nicoletta Tocco, 27, and Brogan Warren, 21 - all from Northampton - died on the A420 in Oxfordshire in May.

The inquest heard their car was on the wrong side of the road before crashing.

Toxicology reports found Mr Jones, who was driving, had cannabis and alcohol in his bloodstream.

However, he was below the drink-drive limit and Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter said he could not be sure the amount of cannabis in Mr Jones' bloodstream had impaired his ability to drive.

The four friends were returning to Northampton after attending a vegan festival in Bristol on 22 May.

Mr Jones was "driving on the wrong side of the road" on the A420 in Shrivenham at about 23:15, the inquest heard.

Jean-Paul Gashema was driving a black Mercedes towards Swindon when he saw the group's Citroen Saxo on his part of the carriageway.

In his evidence to the coroner, he said: "They seemed to be bouncing around, I have no idea why that car was on our side of the road."

After flashing the car he veered to the right and at the last minute the Citroen veered to the left.

The cars then collided and the Citroen "went into the air".

Paramedics attempted to revive the friends but they all died of multiple injuries.

Mr Salter recorded the group's death as accidental as a result of a road traffic collision.

Mr Kay's family issued a statement which said: "Sam touched so many lives in so many ways and we're so proud of the young man he turned into."