TEENAGER Daisy Witney decided to cross a road where she suffered a fatal accident to avoid a group of youths by an underpass, an inquest heard.

The 13-year-old King Edmund Community School pupil either did not see a van approaching or thought she had time to cross Rodford Way, by the Abbotswood Inn, on November 3 last year.

At an inquest into her death, at Flax Bourton Coroner’s Court today, evidence was read out from the youngster’s friend, Sarah Cox, also aged 13, who was with Daisy on the night she died.

The pair were walking from Daisy’s house in Badgeworth to Sarah’s home for a sleepover just after 7pm.

In a written statement, Sarah said they had crossed Rodford Way because a group of youths at the entrance to an underpass just metres away were shouting abuse.

She said: "We stopped at the kerb and I saw an oncoming van which was about 20 to 25 metres away.

"I stopped but Daisy carried on walking without saying anything. Daisy made a bit of a mistake, she went out without looking. I shouted no but she stepped out."

The driver of the White Ford transit van, Phillip Houston, 38, from Frampton Cotterell and passenger Leighann Hobbs, 20, from Coalpit Heath, were on their way to Abbotswood Shopping Centre to buy a take-away meal.

Miss Hobbs said in a statement: "We saw the girls on the grass vergeway but it did not concern us as we assumed they were waiting for the vehicle to pass.

"When we were about one to two car lengths one girl suddenly ran out."

PC David Horsley, from the police collision investigation unit, said Mr Houston was travelling below the 40mph speed limit and could not have done anything more to avoid Daisy.

Added PC Horsley: "Having looked at the evidence, it does beg the question why these girls should cross the road as they did without using the underpass.

"These underpasses are renowned for attracting unsavoury characters. Anti-social behaviour in or around these subways will cause people to take a risk in not using underpasses and crossing over the road."

Deputy coroner Terry Moore said: "There is absolutely no evidence that the girls were larking about, playing running across the road or doing anything other than trying to cross safely.

"We don’t know whether she was just chatting with Sarah and concentrating on that or whether she thought there was time for them to get across.

"I am satisfied that on the balance of probabilities that this is just a tragic accidental death."

He recorded a verdict of accidental death.