TRAGEDY struck when a driver strayed over to the wrong side of the road after a drug and alcohol binge, an inquest heard.

The grief stricken family of Alan Johnston, 30, paid tribute to him after he was found to be 10 times the legal drug-drive limit and over twice the drink-drive limit when he was killed in a two car crash on the A5093 at The Hill near Millom.

Mr Johnston was in his BMW with three passengers travelling north when the crash occurred.

His car went over the centre line and hit another BMW, driven by Samuel Moore, with Olivia Rigg in the passenger seat and another two passengers in the back.

The area coroner Kirsty Gomersal said it was 'only by chance' that the cars were approaching the blind brow of a hill at the same time.

The incident happened just after 11.25pm on November 17, 2018.

Mr Johnston, a former construction labourer, who lived in Castle Street, Millom, was pronounced dead at the scene at 11.48pm.

During an inquest at Cockermouth Coroner’s Court yesterday, Ms Gomersal said he suffered from multiple and 'unsurvivable injuries'.

The court also heard that it was likely that he was speeding, not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash and questions were raised over whether he was using a mobile phone shortly before the incident.

The crash involved eight casualties including Mr Moore who was airlifted to Royal Preston Hospital Infirmary along with a female passenger in Mr Johnston’s car.

The remaining five people were treated at Furness General Hospital in Barrow.

A statement from Mr Moore was read out to the court.

He said: “I saw headlights coming towards us on my side of the road, they were like a freight train coming out of a dark tunnel.

“The only thing I remember was the lights and the sound of the impact. I was in a state of shock.”

PC Craig Irving, a crash investigator from Cumbria Police, gave evidence at the hearing.

He said that 'gouge' marks on the road created at the point of impact were in the lane that Mr Moore was travelling in - when Mr Johnston crossed over to his carriageway.

He also said that 'either or both' motorists were likely to be travelling faster than the 30mph speed limit because of the level of damage caused to each vehicle. He was however unable to say how fast they were going.

Mr Moore said in a statement he was travelling at 30mph.

PC Irving said Mr Johnston’s speedometer was stuck at 30mph at the point of impact but this did not provide an accurate indication of how fast he was travelling, estimating that it could have been five to 10mph faster.

He said because Mr Moore’s car had been pushed back and it was likely that Mr Johnston was travelling faster because it was a lighter model and would need be travelling faster to create such an impact.

He added: “Both vehicles had heavy frontal damage, it was an off-set , driver’s side, head-on collision.

“The collision was such that both rear ends lifted.”

Reading out the conclusion of his reports he said it was likely Mr Johnston’s driving was impaired because of the drugs and alcohol and he could have been using a mobile phone just before the incident - one had been found in the car and none of the other occupants had claimed it.

Ms Gomersal later concluded however that there was no evidence to suggest that the phone found in the car belonged to Mr Johnston.

PC Irving also said Mr Johnston was not wearing his seatbelt at the time as it was in the 'locked and stored position' in the car.

He said the blind brow was difficult in terms of visibility and that it would be hard make it safer.

Mr Johnston was found to have 23micrograms of tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient cannabis, per litre of blood - the legal limit is two, to take into account the possibility of passive ingestion.

He was also found to have 193milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood - the legal limit is 80.

Mr Johnston’s dad and sister paid heartfelt tribute to him at the hearing.

Sister Shannon Johnston said: “To say he was one in a million would be an understatement. He was a very special person to me and my family, words don’t do him justice.

“He is and will always be my first friend. He protected me and I wish we had more time together.

“He was a precious person and I believe he was God’s gift and very talented.

“It feels like half my heart is gone. I feel like half a person. It is never going to be the same without him, he was too precious for this earth.”

His dad, also called Alan Johnston, said: “Everywhere I go and everywhere I look there is a memory. We were like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

“He loved his nanna and granddad and he loved his sister and mum, he was very family orientated. We will make sure he lives on forever.

“I loved him from the very minute he opened his eyes to that sad night that he closed them.”