THE devastated parents of a student killed in a car accident while on a night out with friends say they do not blame the driver for his death.

William Ainsworth died when the car he was in smashed into a tree at such force that a passenger door and wheel broke off and the tree was uprooted.

His father Michael said: “He loved his friends, he’d want them to know how much they were loved and would not want the driver to feel guilt for what happened.

“There’s no point in anyone else’s lives being damaged, we’ll try to make sure nobody else lives in grief.”

His mother Wendy said:”We don’t feel that there’s anything to forgive, his friend just needs to forgive himself

“William was a brilliant son, he went out of his way to help people and had an amazing sense of humour. We are so proud of him.

“I’m absolutely devastated by this loss. Our world was destroyed and I would give anything to get that back, but he wouldn’t want us to be grief-stricken, so we’ll re-build.”

Michael added: “He’d lived in Australia for three months and London for two years but he loved Lyneham and missed his friends, which is why he travelled back up to see them.”

Coroner's verdict: alcohol was a factor in fatal road traffic collision

An inquest heard that on September 29 2017, William and three friends met up, drank alcohol, and headed to Oriental Aroma in Royal Wootton Bassett.

After midnight, they decided to leave the restaurant and go on to Chippenham. But after passing through Goatacre and going down Snow Hill, the driver, Hayden Barker, lost control of the car. It hit the kerb, crashed into a tree, spun backwards over a grass verge and hit a second tree before landing on the road.

William suffered head injuries and died at the scene of the crash, despite the best efforts of his friends and 999 crews to save him.

Statements from those involved in the crash read out at inquest

Michael added: “We know he’d have thanked all the emergency services, witnesses, and everyone who has dealt with this accident.”

William was born in Swindon and lived much of his life at Bradenstoke, near Lyneham, before moving with his parents to London, working at a Sainsbury’s delivery depot and starting a business studies course.

He used to give out unused food from the depot to homeless people after every shift.

Parents call for lower speed limit on road where their son died