Safety Appeal From Coroner After Road Death

AN Oxfordshire Coroner has called for improved safety measures for pedestrians near Service Stations, following the death of a Thame schoolgirl.
Coroner, Nicholas Gardiner, made his appeal during the inquest yesterday, into the death of Chloe Owens, of Haddenham, near Thame.
14 year-old Chloe died after being hit by a car whilst crossing the A4129 Thame by-pass with two friends, Samantha Howard and Amy Duckham, to get to the Burger King restaurant close by.
Shortly after the accident, at 7.15pm on Friday, September 30, Chloe was airlifted to the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, where she later died.
Samantha and Amy did not give evidence in person at the inquest but PC Alison Brown, who had taken statements from both girls, described what happened as the girls stepped into the road by a dropped kerb.

“As the girls stepped out into the road,” she said, “Chloe was slightly ahead of the other two girls. They caught up with her at the traffic island in the centre of the road, but then Chloe ran ahead.
“They saw the car and shouted for Chloe to stop, but she did not hear because there was so much traffic noise.”

The driver of the Saab 95 that hit Chloe, Jon Maartensz, of Bledlow, near Chinnor, said: “There was a flash in my peripheral vision and then there was a thud on my windscreen.
“At first I did not know what it was but thought it could have been a brick. I stopped as soon as I could and got out of the car and saw Chloe lying on the ground.”

Consultant pathologist, Dr Ian Roberts, said Chloe died of severe head injuries.

Although Chloe’s parents did not attend the inquest, Mr Gardiner read out a statement from her mother, Sue, in which she had stated that she had discovered from talking to Chloe’s friends since the accident that Chloe did not have good road sense.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Mr Gardiner said:”Whenever planning applications are put forward, when things are likely to be used by local people in addition to motorists for which they are designed, we should do everything we can to ensure the safety of pedestrians.”