Two young parents-to-be died in a fatal crash at a junction where the Give Way sign was ‘turned the wrong way’, an inquest has heard.
Josh Alexander, 21, and Jessica Poole, 18, who were expecting a baby boy together, died when a lorry ploughed into their car in Woodchurch, Kent on June 5 last year.
The inquest in Maidstone heard the couple were on their way to work delivering takeaways to earn extra cash ahead of the arrival of their newborn when the crash happened.
It comes after one of the last posts Josh shared on his Facebook showed a baby’s onesie with a positive pregnancy test and a scan of their son inside the womb.
Jessica Poole, 18, who was thought to be around four months pregnant, died when the white Vauxhall Corsa she and her boyfriend were travelling in smashed into a white lorry in Woodchurch, Kent last June
Jessica and Josh were from Hastings in East Sussex
Josh accompanied the post with the words: ‘November 2023. See you then lil one.’
The inquest heard they had been heading to Happy Valley Chinese just before 5pm where they had taken on shifts.
Speaking at the inquest, one police officer said he believed ‘heavily worn’ road markings and a rotated Give Way sign near the crossroads may have been contributing actors in the crash.
PC Simon Masterson, forensic collision investigator at Kent Police, said Josh had failed to recognise he was approaching a junction as he drove west along Plurenden Road.
Mr Masterson said: ‘The give way sign on Plurenden Road, which was 11 metres from the junction, was rotated by 61 degrees.
‘The road markings were heavily worn in several places. The approach triangle was also worn but discernible.’
Emergency services rushed to the scene, where the young couple from Hastings were pronounced dead
Josh (pictured) and Jess’s heartbroken friends and family paid tribute to the two youngsters online