The parents of a 21-year-old woman killed in a car crash have described their misery since the loss of their “beautiful” daughter.
An only child, Alexandra Hills had been on a weekend visit to the family home in Dawsmere and was returning to studies at university in Lincoln when her car left the road in Gedney and overturned into a drain on October 31 last year.
Linda Hills said her and her husband Alan’s lives had been changed forever and they would never forget the day a police officer knocked on their door to tell them their daughter had died on a road five miles away.
In evidence read on her behalf at an inquest at Boston Coroner’s Court on Wednesday (April 5), Mrs Hills said: “We just sobbed, we couldn’t believe it.
“We just feel totally lost without her. Everything we have done for the last 21 years was for Alexandra.
“She would have made a brilliant teacher.”
Alexandra had left the house in Church Street at about 7.30am. The previous day she had enjoyed a trip to Hunstanton with boyfriend Jamie Griffin, who then stayed over at the Hills’ house and left at the same time in a separate car and in a different direction.
It was a damp and foggy morning, with Jamie’s evidence to the inquest saying that visibility was only about a car and a half’s length.
Alexandra’s route took her through Gedney Dyke, into Engine Dyke and then Hallgate where her Ford Ka left the road just after a bend. It was about an hour later when home carer Karen Warner spotted the car and flagged down passing electrical engineer Ian Brown. He and another man went down the steep bank but soon indicated that it was clear that Alexandra had died.
The inquest heard that her head was submerged in water but the cause of death was “traumatic head injuries”, not drowning.
No defects were found with either the road surface or the car, which was found in fifth gear.
Although forensic collision investigator Pc Michelle Ford said it was a low-speed impact – so much so that the car’s airbags had not deployed – third gear would have been “more suitable” at that point of the 40mph road.
From tyre marks at the scene it appeared that Alexandra had lost control of the car which had “fishtailed” and turned sideways, travelling diagonally before going into the drain.
It was said that Alexandra knew the road well but the fog could well have played a disorientating effect.
“It’s quite possible that bend has come up by surprise,” Pc Ford said.
Although there was no evidence of another vehicle being involved, it could not be ruled out, the inquest heard.
South Lincolnshire coroner Dr Murray Spittal acknowledged evidence that the car had its headlights on and Alexandra was still wearing a seatbelt when she was found.
“A steep bend and the foggy conditions must have played a part,” he said. “The only anomaly is that the car was found in fifth gear, raising the possibility it was travelling quickly, but this couldn’t be corroborated.
“It’s my opinion that she would not have been conscious when her head went under water.
“We do not know and will never know the precise details of Alexandra’s accident.”
Giving a short-form conclusion, he added: “On the balance of probability, Alexandra died as a result of a road traffic collision.”
The inquest was told by Pc Ford that Lincolnshire County Council is currently looking into funding options for improvements at the crash site, which has no signage to warn of the bend.
