Actor Reiss Jarvis killed along with friend in speeding car in Delph

Actor Reiss Jarvis died alongside his friend in a speeding car
Actor Reiss Jarvis died alongside his friend in a speeding car Credit: MEN

An actor was killed after his friend was speeding and 'lost control' of his car crashing into a tree.

An inquest heard Reiss Jarvis, 21, suffered multiple 'unsurvivable' injuries when the car careered off Huddersfield Road in Delph on the outskirts of Oldham, Greater Manchester.He was a front-seat passenger in a Mazda 3 when it hit a tree before plunging down an embankment, leaving the two men trapped inside.

He was pronounced dead at the scene while the driver, Karl Young, was taken to hospital where he later died.

Karl Young lost control of the vehicle while driving at excessive speed Credit: MEN

Rochdale Coroner’s Court heard analysis of the vehicle's airbag showed the Mazda had been travelling at 110mph just seconds before the crash - more than double the 50mph speed limit.

At the time the car hit the tree it was travelling at 58mph.

The friends were returning to Oldham after visiting a fish shop in Marsden, West Yorkshire, in November last year.Toxicology results showed that Mr Young had not been impaired by alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash.

Flowers and tributes left at the scene of the crash in Delph Credit: MEN

The inquest was told that Mr Jarvis and Mr Young had been friends for about six years and were working together at The Grill at No. 20 in Oldham town centre at the time of their deaths. Mr Jarvis had previously worked as a TV actor and had starred in the 2017 BBC drama Murdered For Being Different, which was based on the murder of Sophie Lancaster in Bacup, Lancashire, a decade earlier.

His dad, Darryl, told the court that his son had auditioned for other roles, as well training as a barber as a "fallback".In a statement, Darryl described his son as "the life and soul of the party", recalling his love of music and how he would write and compose his own songs. 

He said his son's death had taken a "terrible toll" on his health and he had since suffered a stroke.

The car careered off the road and crashed into a tree, before heading down an embankment Credit: MEN

Assistant coroner Michael Salt concluded that Mr Jarvis died as a result of a road traffic collision. 

Mr Salt added: "This case highlights again the dangers of excessive speed on the roads."On this occasion a very talented and loyal young man has lost his life and the only explanation we have is one of loss of control of the vehicle through excessive speed." 

An inquest into Mr Young's is due to take place on May 11.