Man drove at ‘excess speed’ before car crashed into house, court hears

An inquest has opened into the death of a man who crashed into a house earlier this year

An inquest has opened into the death of a 40-year-old man who crashed into a house in Cambridgeshire earlier this year. Richard Woollard, the driver of a blue Ford Mondeo, died after his car crashed into a house on Paston Ridings at around 6pm on May 17, 2026.

Richard died on May 23 at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, days after the crash. In a tribute, his family said: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our son, Richard. He will be profoundly missed by his family and friends. Please respect our privacy during this difficult time.”

The inquest into his death opened on Thursday, June 18, at Vantage House in Huntingdon by area coroner Caroline Jones. The hearing heard that Richard had been driving at “excess speed” when he “lost control” before crashing into the house.

Cambridgeshire Police confirmed a woman in her 70s, who was in the house at the time, also suffered serious injuries.

The deceased was formally identified as Richard at the mortuary on May 28, 2026. His provisional cause of death has been given as a hypoxic-ischemic injury caused by cardiac arrest.

The inquest has been adjourned until December 3, 2026, to be continued by senior coroner David Heming. Coroner Jones offered her condolences to the family and friends of Richard.