TWO teenagers who had been friends all their short lives died in a head-on crash on a dark country road, an inquest heard.

Paul Watson and Daniel Town, both 16 and from the Maidstone area, died instantly when the Renault Clio they were travelling in hit another car and rolled on to its roof and into a ditch.

The exact cause of the crash remains a mystery because neither of their friends who survived the accident can recall anything about it.

The pals were on their way back from a ski centre in Capstone when the accident happened, at 7.40pm, on March 6.

Witness Archie Grasson was driving his BMW along an unlit stretch of Lidsing Road, Boxley, towards Medway, when he saw a car approaching. His wife was a passenger.

He said: "The car came round the bend at high speed and lost complete control. It ploughed straight into the front of us. I thought I was going to die."

Mr Grasson, a former police officer, called 999 and waited with his badly-injured wife, but could not reach those trapped in the Renault Clio.

Thomas Coveney, of East Farleigh, near Maidstone, had been driving. Sitting next to him was Daniel Town, of Upper Fant Road, Maidstone, a pupil at Astor of Hever School.

In the nearside rear passenger seat was Paul Watson, of Beverley Road, Barming, and next to him was Graham Stockley, also from Barming.

A post-mortem examination revealed that both Mr Watson and Mr Town, who were lifelong friends, died from multiple injuries.

PC Kevin Storey, forensic crash investigator, calculated that the Renault had been travelling at between 47mph and 64mph. Mr Grasson’s BMW had probably been doing less than 33mph.

The speed limit on that stretch of road is 60mph.

Roger Sykes, coroner for Mid Kent and Medway, concluded both youngsters died as a result of an accident. Mr Coveney will not face charges.