Hugo Yaxley, the son of the 'Billions' star's sister, was just 20 years old when he died hours after his Honda Jazz had a head-on collision with a Range Rover in Wiltshire, England.
- May 28, 2021
AceShowbiz - British actor Damian Lewis lost his nephew in a horrific car crash just five months before his wife, actress Helen McCrory, succumbed to her secret battle with cancer.
Hugo Yaxley, the son of Lewis' sister, Amanda Yaxley, was just 20 years old when he passed away in the early hours of November 17, hours after his Honda Jazz collided head-on with a Range Rover in Wiltshire, England.
At an inquest held at Salisbury's Coroner's Court, officials revealed Hugo had "inexplicably" driven on the wrong side of the road as he travelled with his girlfriend, Minna Leatham, and two pals.
PC Robert Eccleston, of Wiltshire Police, told the court driving conditions were poor because of the rain and darkness.
Coroner David Ridley added, "For reasons that are unclear, he was driving on the wrong side of the highway ever since joining the road. Despite efforts to get his attention, they [other drivers] failed and sadly then there was the collision."
"As a consequence, Hugo sustained injuries incompatible with life and was pronounced dead in the early hours of the following morning."
Leatham suffered a broken back in the accident, but according to one of the other friends who had been in the car at the time, no one realized Hugo's deadly mistake.
Testifying at the inquest, pal Charles Cooke said, "Hugo has always been a safe driver, he's aware of the highway code and well-educated."
"I have no idea why he was on the wrong side of the road, I've been thinking about it a lot and think it was a lapse. No one realized we were on the wrong side of the road, we weren't shouting about it."
Ridley concluded Hugo died due to a road traffic collision, adding, "Only Hugo can know why he was driving on the wrong side of the road."
A charity website was subsequently set up in Hugo's memory, on which Lewis hailed his nephew as an inspiration who leaves behind "an incredible legacy."
"Peaky Blinders" star McCrory also paid tribute, remembering Hugo as "a very rare young man, an old soul, whose wisdom was far beyond his years."
The revered British actress died in April, aged 52.
