POLICE accident specialists are investigating a car smash which left a teenager dead.

The body of Stuart Walker, 18, a care assistant from Sudburn Avenue, Staindrop, was discovered in the early hours of Monday morning at the side of his car.

A passing motorist spotted the badly damaged Nissan Cherry on the unlit C32 road between the village of Woodland and Toft Hill and alerted the emergency services at about 5am.

Ambulance crews discovered Stuart next to his car, which appeared to have spun out of control and hit a stone gate post and dry stone wall at the entrance of Morley Farm.

The teenager was confirmed dead at Bishop Auckland Hospital.

Police are now appealing for help in piecing together the teenager's movements in the hours before he died.

The road where the accident occurred will remain closed after police discovered signs of significant and recent subsidence on the road about 300-yards from the scene of the crash.

But police say they have no evidence at this stage to suggest it caused the accident.

If anyone has any information they should contact the accident unit at Durham police headquarters on (0191) 3864929.