Family find driver, 19, dead in field five hours after car crashes

The body of a 19-year-old road crash victim was found in a field by his family, hours after emergency services left the scene. Chris Barclay died instantly from head injuries in the collision at Mow Cop, near Kidsgrove, Staffordshire, but his body lay undiscovered just 30ft from his damaged Vauxhall Nova.

The body of a 19-year-old road crash victim was found in a field by his family, hours after emergency services left the scene. Chris Barclay died instantly from head injuries in the collision at Mow Cop, near Kidsgrove, Staffordshire, but his body lay undiscovered just 30ft from his damaged Vauxhall Nova.

Mr Barclay, a newly qualified Royal Marines Commando, had six other people in his car when it left the road and overturned, police said. Five hours after the 999 crews left, his family found him in a field.

Staffordshire Police said the car is believed to have crashed at about 11pm on Friday. A spokesman added: "The post-mortem examination ... established that Mr Barclay died instantly because of severe head injuries.

"At this stage, it appears that the car had been travelling from Mow Cop towards Congleton when for some reason it went out of control and overturned. When the emergency services arrived the driver was not in the vehicle and a search and inquiries elsewhere proved negative. At around 4am, relatives of the driver, sadly, found his body in a nearby field."

Staffordshire Police have referred the investigation to the independent Police Complaints Commission. Two of the six passengers in the Nova were treated in hospital.