Tributes have been paid to a new father who died in a car crash on Dereham Road.

Eastern Daily Press: Viorel Petroi, who died in the crash near the Norfolk Showground. Picture: Courtesy of Mr RadiViorel Petroi, who died in the crash near the Norfolk Showground. Picture: Courtesy of Mr Radi (Image: Mr Radi)

Ben Gardiner, from Scarning, was one of two people to die when the car he was driving came off the road and hit two pedestrians on Dereham Road near to the entrance to the Norfolk Showground on November 22 last year.

Mr Gardiner, 37, and one of the pedestrians, Viorel Petroi, 48, were pronounced dead at the scene, while the second pedestrian, Daniella Radu, received life changing injuries.

At a joint inquest into Mr Gardiner’s and Mr Petroi’s deaths, held at Norfolk Coroner’s Court, on Wednesday May 6, the coroner’s court heard on how Mr Gardiner had been doing 70mph in a 60mph zone at the time of the collision.

Following the conclusion of the inquest, Mr Gardiner’s family have issued a tribute to him.

They said: “Ben was a loving and supportive husband and was a wonderful new father to his little boy Tommy. He was a strong and reliable man whom his friends and family could rely on and had the ability to make those around him feel loved and supported and could brighten the darkest day or mood with one of his big bear hugs.”

They said Mr Gardiner, who was a mature student at the University of East Anglia, was “working hard to achieve his goal of obtaining his degree”.

“He is terribly missed by his family and friends and would be devastated that the accident had caused any pain and suffering to those he loved and to the other families involved,” they said.

A police investigation into the cause of collision, carried out by PC Stuart Aldous, concluded Mr Gardiner most likely lost control of his car, when he accelerated then took his foot off the accelerator causing over steer.

PC Aldous said he believed this was what caused Mr Gardiner’s car to cross the road and onto the verge where Mr Petroi and Ms Radu were walking at the time of the collision.

The inquest concluded both Mr Gardiner and Mr Petroi died as the result of a road traffic collision.