A 24-year-old killed in a crash near Chipping Norton was three times over the legal alcohol limit when his Audi TT careered off the road and hit a tree, an inquest heard. 

Dylan Moyce died of severe head trauma caused by the crash on the A44 at Cross Hands Hill at around 7.50am on Sunday, November 20.

Concluding an inquest at Oxfordshire Coroners Court today (July 26), coroner Darren Salter described the technician’s death as a “sad loss of life.”

READ MORE: Motorist arrested for 'cocaine DUI' in Oxfordshire village

The court heard that Mr Moyce had been drinking with his cousin Stanford Titterton the night before and the morning of the crash.

At 8.55pm on November 19, he had phoned Mr Titterton and asked to come to his house, the inquest heard. 

Mr Titterton said his cousin had been “more persistent than usual”.

At 11.05pm, Mr Moyce arrived at the house, and brought out bottles of beer as well as cans of gin and tonic from his car.

Cotswold Journal: Oxford Coroner's Court Oxford Coroner's Court (Image: Oxford Mail)

As the pair walked into town, Mr Moyce drank from a can of gin and tonic, the inquest heard.

After their night out, the cousins walked back to Mr Titterton’s house.

“We arrived back at my house, and we sat in my living room. During this time, Dylan drank two glasses of water and seemed his normal self,” said Mr Titterton.

READ MORE: Carterton man charged after chicken 'punched in the head'

At sometime between 6.30am and 7am, Mr Moyce decided to drive home.

Mr Titterton said: “He insisted he was fine and wanted to go home. He took the contents on the table and that’s when he left.”

Travelling in a south-east direction on the A44 towards Chipping Norton, Mr Moyce drove straight on at a left hand bend in the road.

The vehicle left the road and collided with a chevron sign and trees, the inquest was told.

A witness who came across the aftermath of the crash described it as “pretty eerie,” as the cars engine was on and music was playing loudly.

READ MORE: Wantage: Closure of pre-school causes difficulty for parents

Police officers arrived and performed CPR and first aid on Mr Moyce, but were told to stop when paramedics arrived as there was no “life-saving opportunities.”

My Moyce was declared dead at 8.29am.

Collision investigator Emma Morgan arrived at the scene an hour-and-a-half after the crash.

She found two gin and tonic cans in the car – one was empty while she could not check the other because of damage to the car – as well as a bag, which had been removed from the vehicle, containing three bottles of Budweiser beer and an aftershave bottle.

It was concluded the crash had been caused by fatigue combined with excessive impairment due to alcohol consumption.