A father described the horrifying moment he attempted to unlock the door of the family car as it slid down a hill with his 17-year-old daughter inside after the handbrake had disconnected, before the vehicle crashed and crushed her to death.
Lily Sedley-Jones, also known as Aaliyah Sedley-Jones, died in front of her father when the locks and brakes of their automobile were automatically activated, sending it careening downward.
She was waiting alone in the family car when, “for unexplained reasons,” she chose to start the engine, disabling the automatic handbrake.
Her father’s desperate attempts to unlock the doors and stop the silver Citroen C4 Picasso from rolling down the 11.6% incline slope were unsuccessful as he watched in terror as the doors automatically shut owing to the vehicle’s speed.
Lily died in the accident on January 5 at Spring Hill, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, when the vehicle overturned, according to an inquest conducted yesterday.
According to the BBC, her father Benjamin Jones said during the trial that he saw his daughter in the driver’s seat and heard her start the engine.
The doors of a Citroen C4 lock when a speed of 6 mph is achieved, according to the coroner.
He said during the inquiry, ‘I could no longer hold on to it.
I had no clue why Lily attempted to drive the automobile while sitting in the driver’s seat.
Before toppling over, the moving car collided with a grass verge, a wall, and a light.
Lily died soon after 9 p.m. at the site, despite desperate attempts by neighbors, family members, and paramedics to save her.
Police informed the inquiry The BBC stated that Lily had never driven the automobile before and carried just a temporary license.
Coroner Maria Voisin declared the death a “accident” due to the absence of car defects.
Brain injuries were the official cause of death.
Lily’s mother released the following statement at the time of her passing: ‘Lily, you were stolen just as your life was starting, and you were so enthusiastic for all you had to look forward to.
You maximized each and every day of your existence.
You were my closest friend, a breath of fresh air, and you illuminated whatever space you entered.
‘You were so terrified of losing anybody you cared about, and the only consolation I can offer is that at least you will never experience the sorrow that everyone who knows you is experiencing right now.
She proceeded by stating that her baby was “too wonderful for this harsh world” and that she could not wait to be reunited with her.
Her mother said, “Your four brothers and all of your relatives and friends will perpetuate your memory as long as we all live.”
“We will never stop talking about you because you were the most kind, compassionate, loving, hilarious, and gorgeous person we have ever met, and we will always appreciate the time we spent with you.
“Taken from us at the dreadful age of 17 in a horrific accident that will long haunt us.”
“We were proud of you every second of every day, and we love you more than you could ever fathom, my lovely Lily.”