Girl died after speeding car hit pothole, inquest hears

A teenage girl died after the speeding car she was in struck a pothole and plunged into a river, an inquest into her death has heard.

Eden Bunn, 16, was a rear seat passenger in a VW Polo driven by Declan Berry, 18, which had been travelling at about 90mph moments before entering the River Nene, near Wisbech, in Cambridgeshire on 17 March.

While three other occupants escaped, Eden died from a head injury. Declan's body was recovered two weeks later.

The inquest in Huntingdon heard a police report had found the driver's speed was "the most significant contributory factor" to the crash, but the condition of the road and presence of potholes also contributed.

Eden's parents Dean and Lisa, brother Jay and sister Shelby said in a statement released after the inquest: "Eden was the kindest most wonderful person and to have her snatched away from us so suddenly has left us heartbroken.

"She was a beautiful soul and had such a love of life.

"No words can describe the devastation we feel and we will never get over losing her.

"Nothing will bring Eden back and her death is a horrific reality we will have to live with forever."

The inquest heard in a statement from one of the surviving passengers, who said Berry had been driving at about 90mph moments before the incident, and when he asked him to "slow down", Berry replied "we will be fine".

The speed limit on that stretch of North Brink is 60mph.

The 18-year-old front seat passenger said the group of five friends had been at a gym and then visited a McDonald's before the crash.

Another passenger said there had been "no music playing and the atmosphere felt eerie" prior to the crash.

She said that after Berry was told to slow down, this was "followed by Eden shouting 'Declan'".

Sarah Townsend, a specialist personal injury lawyer representing Eden's family, said: "What is most tragic is that it was entirely avoidable and should serve as a warning to young drivers to not drive recklessly and put others at risk."

Another recalled hearing "a thud" which she thought might have been a pothole.

The court heard that there had been 127 recent complaints to Cambridgeshire County Council regarding the condition of the road, some of which were about mud and debris on the carriageway.

The authority conducted a survey days before the crash, 98 potholes had been identified and a programme of work had been ordered.

The inquest heard the road had deteriorated edges and uneven surfaces.

A police report said the Polo had "struck a pothole" and coroner Elizabeth Gray found the vehicle had "struck a road surface defect on North Brink".

Berry's body was recovered from the river on 31 March.

Closing an inquest for Berry, Gray said he had been "driving at an excessive and inappropriate speed", with the "unsatisfactory condition of the road more than minimally contributing" to the crash.

Cambridgeshire County Council has been contacted for comment.

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