A TEENAGE driver died after his car spun out of control on the notorious Grane Road, an inquest heard.

The body of Rizwan Mitha, 19, was found half out of the passenger window of his overturned car which crashed through a stone wall.

A post-mortem examination showed Mr Mitha, of Whalley new Road, Blackburn, died of head injuries and deputy coroner Carolyn Singleton said the tragedy should serve as a warning to all motorists of the importance of wearing seat belts.

Mr Mitha, a British Telecom employee, was on his way home from the Bury call centre where he had been working an evening shift in February this year.

He left work in front of a car driven by another Blackburn man and a passenger in that car told how they had overtaken Mr Mitha shortly after they had joined the Grane Road at Haslingden.

Imran Patel, of Cedar Street, Blackburn told the inquest he had known Mr Mitha for many years and the two of them had worked together at the Bury call centre.

He said as he left work that night he was given a lift by another friend and there were three other men in the car.

Mr Mitha was alone in his car and set off in front of his colleagues. Mr Patel said that after overtaking Mr Mitha they did not see him again.

AA patrol man Paul Powell was on duty on that night and drove over the Grane Road from Haslingden towards Blackburn. As he headed towards the motorway he noticed some vehicle lights at the side of the road.

"They weren't in the right place to be on the road but I could not tell where they were," said Mr Powell.

"As soon as I could I turned round and went back to investigate." He discovered Mr Mitha's car on its roof in a field.

Police accident investigator Simon Batten said he discovered striated tyre marks on the centre white lines which suggested the wheels of the car were rotating at the same time as they were sliding sideways.

He said there was every indication that Mr Mitha had not been wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Mrs Singleton said it was clear that having negotiated a bend in the road Mr Mitha had lost control of his car.

She added: "The accident was of such violence that wearing a belt may not have saved his life but it pinpoints the need to wear seat belts.It is a matter of law and I think the potential results of ignoring the law should be brought home to the public."