A 20-year-old farm worker died after losing control of his car on an icy road.

Haiden Elvin, 20, was driving along the B1145 at Great Massingham, near King’s Lynn, on the morning of December 31, when his Volvo S40 slid into the opposite carriageway and collided with a van.

Mr Elvin of Mill Road, Great Ryburgh, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, an inquest in Norwich heard on Friday.

In a statement van driver Godfrey Duggan said he was driving his Mercedes towards Weasenham when there was an impact “like an explosion”.

He said he blacked out and the next thing he could remember was being told to get in an ambulance.

“Since the accident my thoughts have been very much with the other family involved and continue to be,” he said.

Both drivers tested negative for alcohol or drugs, the court was told.

Crash investigator PC Lee Smart said the tread on the off-side front tyre of Mr Elvin’s car was “marginally below” the legal limit but he could not be certain how much this might have affected the handling of the vehicle.

PC Smart said the road was icy at the time of the crash, which happened around 8.30am. He said Mr Elvin had lost control of his car, which slid towards the other vehicle.

He said no gritting had taken place and the slippery road surface was the most likely explanation for the crash.

Norfolk County Council highways engineer Robert White said the road had not been gritted because forecasts the previous day predicted temperatures of 2c.

At 4.35am on the morning of the crash, the council was told temperatures were falling lower than expected because of clear skies. But Mr White said the decision was taken not to send out the gritters because the temperature was still above freezing.

Council civil engineer Matthew Worden said there would not have been time to treat the roads before temperatures started to rise again.

Summing up, senior coroner Jacqueline Lake said she was satisfied the right decision was made based on the information available at the time. She said there was nothing Mr Duggan could have done to avoid the crash.

She concluded Mr Elvin died from multiple injuries as a result of a road traffic collision.