A father who died after his Mercedes flipped onto its roof on a country lane was almost three times the drink drive limit, an inquest has heard.

Paul Hooker was travelling towards his home in Pitt Road, Kingswood, near Maidstone, on September 20 after a night out at the pub with his family.

The roofer was driving his white Mercedes GL350 along the road when he lost control just a few hundred metre from his home, hitting a dirt verge and trees before his car flipped into the middle of the road at about 11.30pm.

His cause of death was given as multiple severe injuries.

During the hearing at Maidstone's Archbishop's Palace it was revealed neither the 31-year-old or his passenger and cousin, Wayne Hooker, were wearing seatbelts.

Assistant coroner Bina Patel explained how a toxicology report revealed the driver's blood alcohol level was 225mg/100ml, when the legal limit is 80.

Mr Hooker had been at the Potting Shed pub in Langley with his family before the crash and the level of alcohol in his blood is often associated with passing out or "coma".

A statement read to the court from Wayne Hooker claimed his cousin was driving at an "excessive speed" and he had asked Paul to slow down, but he failed to do so.

Evidence from PC Duncan Swallows heard how the speed of the vehicle prior to the fatal crash couldn't be obtained but in his opinion high speed didn't contribute to Mr Hooker's death, but he thought it was more likely he misjudged a left bend due to his level of intoxication.

Mr Hooker's wife Gemma had returned home from the pub with Wayne Hooker's wife Jodie earlier in the night to put the children to bed and were outside when they heard a loud noise from down the road.

Jodie Hooker explained how she heard "a skidding sound" and the pair drove down the road before they saw the wreckage of the crash and a male's body

Emergency services were called via 999 at 11.39pm and the Paul Hooker was pronounced dead at one minute past midnight on September 21.

When police arrived at the scene before midnight Mr Hooker's uncle, Norman Hooker, was seen standing by his body.

A statement from Norman detailed how he and Paul's father, also known as "Big Paul", had left the pub in his transit van at around 11.17pm, just a minute after their son, but arrived to the scene of a crash just under 10 minutes later.

Norman Hooker stayed with his nephew's body while emergency services came as he "couldn't leave him".

A post mortem report revealed Paul Hooker suffered "catastrophic and extensive injuries which weren't survivable".

Assistant coroner Bina Patel recorded a conclusion of death by road traffic collision.

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