Eight-year-old boy died beside his mum after car crashed into pond near Peterborough

An eight-year-old boy died sitting alongside his mum after their car crashed into a pond near RAF Wittering, an inquest has heard.

Vivien Radocz (28) was driving the Ford Focus with son Milan sitting alongside her in the front passenger seat as they were driving to Corby to go to the cinema when she crashed on Old Oundle Road at Wittering in September last year.

The car smashed through fencing, ending up upside down, submerged in a pond. Tragically, neither Vivien or Milan could escape – despite Vivien managing to remove her seatbelt as she tried to escape, and help her trapped son.

The car was not found for seven hours, by which time it was too late to save the pair.

Following the accident on Saturday, September 3, friends and family paid tribute to the pair, who lived in Churchill Road, Stamford, with teachers at Milan’s school saying the youngster had a ‘winning smile.’ A fundraising campaign to help the family also raised thousands of pounds.

There were also calls for action to be taken to make the bend where the incident occurred safer.

At an inquest at Peterborough Town Hall on Tuesday, March 7, Coroner Simon Milburn said both Milan and Vivien had drowned, and recorded a conclusion that the pair had died in a road traffic collision.

Mr Milburn said that CCTV had shown the Ford turning onto Old Oundle Road at around 10.30am on September 3.

However, it was only when John Gilderdale-Smith, a flight officer at RAF Wittering, went to the pond at 5.30pm that evening, that he spotted the car in the pond.

Mr Gilderdale-Smith said that when he arrived he saw chemicals on the surface of the water. He then walked around the pond, and could see the rear wheels poking out above the surface.

Firefighters went into the water to investigate, as it was not known if there was anyone in the car. One officer managed to pull Milan out, and he was rushed to Peterborough City Hospital, but sadly could not be saved.

Paramedic Daniel Green said Vivien was taken from the car a short time later, and medics gave her CPR on the road for 20 minutes, but she was declared dead at the scene.

PC Stephanie Corletto, said there was evidence Vivien may have been surprised by the sharpness of the bend.

She said: “Vivien had travelled to Corby on several occasions, and preferred to travel on routes that were known to her, but she would use the Sat Nav on her phone to navigate.

"Her normal route went through Stamford, and following the A43, but this weekend was the weekend of the Burghley Horse Trials, and it was known the roads were heavily congested, so she may have taken a different route.”

Mr Milburn concluded: “The reason why Vivien steered an incorrect course is unclear. I accept the collision investigators’ findings that the most likely causes of the collision are an unfamiliarity with the road, a distraction, or inattention, or a combination of those factors.”

He expressed his condolences to the family, saying: “It is difficult to imagine the extent of their grief at the loss of such a young child.”

MORE: School pays tribute to eight-year-old Milan who had 'winning smile and kind heart'