A teenage driver who died in a traffic collision had “drifted over” onto the wrong side of the road, an inquest heard.

Charmaine Phillips, 17, of Appletree Walk, Braintree, died on June 22 last year at about 9.15pm when her red Rover collided almost head-on with a Ford Ranger on the A131 Braintree bypass.

Her front-seat passenger Romaine Lee, 17, and back-seat passenger Danielle Stevens, both from Braintree, were severely injured in the crash.

Today's inquest heard how none of the friends had been wearing their seatbelts.

Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray said Braintree College student Charmaine died as the result of an accident, but “we will never know why she drifted over onto the completely wrong side of the road”.

She continued: “We will never know that. I said at the very beginning I wanted to express the court’s sympathy to you [family and friends] and would like to do that again.

“Quite clearly there’s evidence here, so many people at the inquest, she was a much-loved young lady, and I hope you will be able to treasure all the happy, positive memories you have of her.”

For the full story read next week's Braintree and Witham Times.