A teenager whose girlfriend and another girl were killed after he lost control of his car a week after passing his driving test has appealed for people to wear seatbelts.

Sarah Ertl died when her boyfriend lost control of his car

Daniel Hadland, 18, of Jerome Way, Shipton-on-Cherwell, spoke after an inquest into the deaths of his girlfriend, 15-year-old Sarah Ertl, of Water Street, Somerton, and Gemma Blackman, 15, of North Street, Middle Barton, at Oxford Coroner's Court yesterday (January 26).

The inquest heard how a week after passing his test, Mr Hadland was driving the two girls in his car on the B4030 to Middle Barton after the three had all finished work in Aylesbury. Miss Ertl was sitting directly behind him in the back seat of the black Toyota Yaris and Miss Blackman was behind the passenger seat.

At the inquest, accident investigator Insp Richard Howard said the evidence suggested the car struck a kerb on the left-hand side of the road as it was going round a left-hand bend at 7.35pm.

He told the court he thought that as Mr Hadland had tried to correct this, he overturned and the car spun off the road in a clockwise direction into a field, hitting a tree on the way.

Miss Ertl, a pupil at Marlborough Church of England School, Woodstock, was pronounced dead at the scene and Miss Blackman, a pupil at Carterton Community College, died five days later in hospital.

Mr Hadland told the court he was driving at 40mph on the 60mph road when he hit something, then mounted the kerb and lost control. He said: "After the crash, I took one seatbelt off. I imagine it would have been Sarah's belt. I do not remember taking a belt off Gemma."

Insp Howard said he did not think Miss Ertl had been wearing a seatbelt. He said: "The rear nearside seatbelt had been cut by the fire service which suggested it had been in use at the point of impact.

"The rear offside seatbelt was stowed and tight. The seatbelt webbing was behind the rear passenger's shoulder and there was no evidence to suggest the seatbelt had been in use.

"My opinion is that that seatbelt was not in use at the moment of impact."

After the inquest Mr Hadland said: "I would appeal for everyone to wear seatbelts."

Miss Ertl's father Toni appealed for drivers, especially new drivers, to take care and drive within their ability. He said: "Dan was particularly unfortunate in that he had only passed his test one week beforehand and so he didn't have a lot of experience."

Coroner Nicholas Gardiner recorded a verdict of accidental death in both cases.