A YOUNG man died instantly after losing control of his car and crashing into the back of a tractor, an inquest heard.

Scott Clark, 23, was driving his blue Vauxhall Corsa back to St Neots from Huntingdon at about 1.50pm on June 13 when he let Jack Masters, who was at the Black Bull public house junction in Post Street, Godmanchester, out onto the road in front of him.

Mr Masters said that Mr Clark, of Love’s Farm, St Neots, then followed him at a safe distance as he turned onto the B1043 towards the Offords and St Neots from the Causeway.

Mr Masters of Glatton Close, Offord Cluny, told the inquest at Huntingdon Law Courts today (December 10), that as he reached the top of Offord Hill, he was overtaken by the sales assistant and then lost sight of him for 10 seconds while going round a couple of bends.

When Mr Masters saw the Corsa again, it had crashed into the back of the tractor.

Andrew Neilson, of Malborough Close, St Ives, started cutting the grass between Godmanchester and Offord between 1pm and 1.30pm and had put warning signs at the exits of the town and village.

Mr Neilson, who has cut grass verges for four years, was travelling at three to four miles per hour around 500 metres from Offord Cluny when he saw a cyclist jump from his bike onto the grass verge.

The tractor driver then heard tyres squealing from behind and turned to see a car travelling sideways down the road for about 40 to 50 yards before hitting the tractor, knocking him off his seat.

Crash investigator Pc John Blood told the inquest: “There was an unobstructed view of the tractor for 135 metres. He had gone completely into the other carriageway to overtake the tractor when he turned left to either avoid mounting the verge and leaving the road or that he reacted to seeing the cyclist 20 yards ahead of the tractor.

“The hard left movement forced the car into rotating anti-clockwise. Putting his foot on the break or taking it off the accelerator would have added to the problem.”

He added that there were no defects with either vehicle and Mr Clark was travelling at around 60 miles per hour when he lost control, but couldn’t specify the exact speed.

South and West Cambridgeshire coroner David Morris ruled Mr Clark died from injuries sustained in a road traffic collision. He said: “He was driving his Vauxhall Corsa from Godmanchester when he overtook Mr Masters just after the brow of the hill.

“For reasons that are not entirely clear he tried to overtake the tractor and then turned left back into it causing he car to travel sideways into the unit causing significant damage and death instantly.”