Girl, 17, was killed on night out (From Warrington Guardian)

Girl, 17, was killed on night out

A TEENAGER was killed after a night out with friends.

Nursery nurse Verity Harcourt, 17, was hit by a car as she tried to cross the A50 during the early hours of Saturday May 1.

"I didn't have a chance to slow down," said driver Elisabeth Baker.

At Verity's inquest last week, one of her friends Robin Windsland said they were 'merry, but not drunk'.

He told how they had decided to cross the road just past the Old Vicarage Hotel because the footpath became very narrow.

A couple of group ran across the road as two cars approached from Knutsford. Robin told the inquest at Crewe how as he ran across the road he spotted a car coming in the other direction and had to sprint.

"I turned and I saw Verity had run across behind me," he said.

"The car struck her. I turned around a split second before it happened."

In an interview shortly after the accident, Ms Baker told police she saw a couple of young men run across the road, then spotted Verity right in front of her car. Collision investigator PC Steve Binns said Verity, of Byley Lane, Cranage, should have been able to see Ms Baker's Renault Clio as she started crossing the road even though it would have been dark.

He said the car was likely to have been travelling at little more than 40mph.

A post mortem examination showed that Verity died of multiple head injuries.

Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.