An Oxford man died when he was thrown from a car which rolled 25 metres down a motorway embankment after a tyre blew out, Oxford Coroner's Court heard yesterday (November 20).

Mr Karanja, 36, of Orchard Road, Cowley, was travelling back from a party in London with Daniel Kimani, Jackie Adams and Willie Wanjihia, when the accident happened on the M40 between junction six, near Lewknor, and junction seven, near Milton Common, on April 14, at 7am.

Mr Kimani, who was driving the blue BMW, was found to be over the drink-drive limit, as were the other two passengers who survived the accident.

Kundan Singh Flora, of Stoke Poges in Buckinghamshire, saw the car leave the road. In a statement, he said: "I could see four people all outside the car.

"Three were laying on the grass, both in a clear area between the car and the bottom of the embankment. The fourth was checking the other three."

Police said a faulty 11-year-old tyre caused the blowout.

Police accident investigator Pc Terry Anderson said: "It is thought the tyre is the original spare that came with that vehicle. The deflation was very quick.

"Even a very good driver would have struggled to have maintained control of that vehicle."

Coroner, Nicholas Gardiner, recorded a verdict of accidental death.