New Details Revealed About ‘Devastating’ Death of Race Across the World Star Sam Gardiner, 24

Sam Gardiner, a former Race Across the World contestant, died at age 24 after losing control of his car in “appalling” weather conditions, according to reports.

Gardiner was driving a white Volkswagen in Manchester, England, on Monday, May 26, at around 9:50 p.m. local time when the car veered off the road and “rolled before landing on its side,” the Greater Manchester Police previously said in a statement. 

The late reality star, who starred in season 2 of Race Across the World, the U.K. version of The Amazing Race, alongside his mother, Jo, was transported to the hospital, where he succumbed to life-threatening injuries on Thursday, May 29.

He was the only passenger of the vehicle, the police previously confirmed.

An inquest into Gardiner’s death opened on June 11, per a Record of Inquest obtained by PEOPLE. The document confirmed that Gardiner had died from a “devastating brain injury” caused by a road traffic crash.

An inquest was then held at Manchester South Coroner’s Court on Monday, Oct. 13, before coroner Christopher Morris.

The Record of Inquest document obtained by PEOPLE stated, “Mr Gardiner died on 29 May 2025 at Salford Royal Hospital, Salford as a consequence of brain injury sustained in a Road traffic collision which occurred on 26 May 2025 on the A34 Kingsway when in poor weather the VW Golf R Estate he was driving lost control and left the carriageway.”

“The [tire] condition of the vehicle and the manner in which it was being driven in view of the poor weather conditions were significant factors in the collision occurring,” it added.

It was revealed during Monday’s inquest that Gardiner had been out driving in “appalling” weather conditions when the fatal crash occurred, according to the Manchester Evening News, the Liverpool Echo and the Metro.

Gardiner, from Gatley in the town of Stockport in the north of England, suffered a severe head injury when his “high-powered” vehicle veered off the road, the Manchester Evening News noted.

Consultant Dr. Naisbitt, who works in the ICU at Salford Royal Hospital, told the court on Monday that Gardiner had been placed in an induced coma after suffering the serious injuries in the accident, but doctors had concluded “that there was no realistic prospect of any meaningful recovery,” per the local newspaper.

It was also revealed in court that witnesses had seen Gardiner’s car “overtaking and undertaking” vehicles before the crash, the outlet noted.

Coroner Christopher Morris said, “Sam was truly a remarkable person who lit up the lives of many… He loved his sport, he loved his cars, and he loved being outdoors.”

Morris also called Gardiner “one of life’s adventurers,” adding that he was “caring, generous, with a great spirit and a big heart,” per the outlet. The coroner said Gardiner had likely been driving at a “significant estimated speed” on the 50 mph road at the time of the tragedy.

Detective Constable Simon Venguedasalon, who works for Greater Manchester Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said, “Several witnesses said that Sam was undertaking and overtaking slow-moving vehicles,” according to the Liverpool Echo.

“A lot of the witnesses had slowed down due to the lack of visibility and the standing water on the road,” he added.

“His driving was not consistent with the [weather] conditions at the time,” the officer continued, the outlet noted.

There was no CCTV or dashcam footage of the incident, according to the Liverpool Echo.

“Sam, unfortunately, wasn’t driving to the conditions of the road. Due to the lack of tread on the [tires] he lost control on the carriageway due to speed,” Venguedasalon said at the inquest.

“He unfortunately left the carriageway and the collision then occurred,” the officer said, while Police Constable Adam Dixon added that the surface of the road was “very wet” due to the “bad weather.” He also said that the fact that the tires on Gardiner’s vehicle had “insufficient tread depth” likely contributed to the incident, the Liverpool Echo and the Manchester Evening News reported.

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Following Gardiner’s death earlier this year, his parents, Jo and Andrew, said they were “devastated” in a statement previously obtained by PEOPLE and shared by Greater Manchester Police.

“Sam left us far too soon, and whilst words will never fully capture the light, joy and energy he brought into our lives, we hold on to the memories that made him so special,” the tribute read.

“Sam was adored by his family. As a son, brother and nephew, he was loyal, funny and fiercely protective,” they added.

Gardiner had been working as a landscape gardener in Scotland at the time of the crash and had been heading home to Manchester for a family gathering, police confirmed in the release.

Elsewhere in their statement, Jo and Andrew said: “Sam brought warmth, laughter and a smattering of chaos wherever he went. He leaves behind a huge hole in our hearts. We will miss him endlessly, but we’ll also remember him with smiles, tall tales, and a depth of love that will never fade.”