A MOTORIST was almost two-and-a half times the drink drive limit when he crashed his car and died, an inquest heard.

A coroner said the death of Dorchester man Paul Way should serve as a warning to others about the 'tragic consequences' of drink driving.

Police said the influence of alcohol and drugs in Mr Way’s system impacted his ability to drive.

Mr Way, who was described as a "good and loving" man, crashed his car after arguing with his girlfriend, the inquest heard.

Mr Way, 44, died from multiple injuries after his blue Peugeot 306 hit a verge on the A37 and collided with a tree on November 19 last year.

His body was discovered by a passing driver at 2.20am after Mr Way was last seen leaving a friend’s house half-an-hour earlier.

The coroner heard that Mr Way had struggled with drugs and alcohol throughout his life, and at the time of his death was taking prescribed methadone as part of a heroin withdrawal programme.

His mother Theresa Priddle told the Bournemouth inquest that she had noticed a change in her son in the week before his death.

She said: "Paul had some difficulties in life but he was a good, loving person. There was a change in him on the Sunday, he looked troubled.

"He said he had had a drink the night before when he had been trying to stop drinking and not drink so much."

The inquest heard that in the hours before his death Mr Way had been drinking with his girlfriend Hannah Woodington at her flat in Poundbury. 

Miss Woodington told the inquest that later that evening the couple argued and at around 12.15am she heard loud music coming from his car before seeing him "race off", to his friend Paul Wills' house.

She said: "If he was in a low mood, he would go off and drive quite fast."

In a statement from Mr Wills, read out by the coroner, the friend said he saw Mr Way get out of his Peugeot carrying a half-drunk bottle of Jack Daniels. 

It read: "I took the bottle out of his hand and said ‘this is going to kill you’."

He told Mr Way he would drive him back to his girlfriend’s house as Mr Way was distressed about their argument and wanted to see her. But Mr Way had gone by the time Mr Wills returned from getting his coat.

Collision investigators reported that Mr Way had been travelling towards Weirs roundabout when his car crossed the central reservation before hitting a verge and crashed into the tree.

He was pronounced dead at the scene with a post-mortem examination showing he had injuries associated with blunt trauma.

A toxicology report revealed 193 milligrams of alcohol found in 100 millilitres of his blood. The legal limit is 80mg.

There was also traces of Diazepam, cocaine and methadone in his blood. 

At the inquest, traffic sergeant for Dorset Police, Nicola Burt said: "Investigations could find no evidence of any other vehicle or any animal involved.

"The influence of alcohol and drugs in Mr Way’s system absolutely impacted his ability to drive."

Recording a verdict of accidental death, senior Dorset coroner Rachael Griffin said "I hope if any good can come out of Paul’s death, it will be a warning to others about drinking and driving and its tragic consequences."