A little girl died after crashing into an HGV in a tiny village plagued by lorries on its small roads, an inquest heard. Eloise Jackson, seven, had been on her way home after a playground trip in Collingbourne Ducis in Wiltshire when her bike hit the lorry.
The village had seen a rise in recent years in HGVs 'thundering' through the tiny roads, villagers say. And a petition calling for new road safety measures was launched in the wake of the schoolgirl's tragic death.
Her mum Laura said Eloise took her green BMX bicycle and had a “happy” ride at the park. The pair left after around 20 minutes and Eloise was reminded to push her bike but instead hopped on it, picking up speed as she went downhill.
Her mother’s statement to Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court said she was screaming her daughter's name but couldn’t run fast enough to catch up. And she later described seeing Eloise completely still near the lorry.
Eloise had struck the Volvo articulated HGV on the A338 on July 13, 2021, and she was pronounced dead at hospital. Her family now hopes the new road safety campaign in her honour will see trucks re-routed and a new speed limit put in place.
Collingbournes Road Safety Working Group is a campaign working to reduce speed and the number of HGVs using the A338 through Collingbourne Ducis and Collingbourne Kingston. It is supported by Eloise's Army, a project set up by Mrs Jackson to raise funds, campaign, and honour Eloise's memory.
Philip Palmer, a close family friend who represented the Jacksons at the inquest, said the increasing volume of HGV traffic is 'totally inappropriate' for the types of roads in the area. He said: "The largest vehicle anticipated when these roads were made was a big horse and cart, not these six-axle HGVs."
In his statement, which was read out by coroner Ian Singleton, the HGV driver said that “to this day I do not know how the collision happened” and that he did not see the young girl until he got out of the vehicle. Coroner Ian Singleton gave a conclusion of road traffic collision.
