AN inquest into the deaths of two teenagers from Millom has heard they tragically died at the roadside following a serious collision despite desperate efforts to save them by passers by and paramedics.

Skye Mitchell and Caitlin Huddleston, 18, had been travelling on the A595 coast road from the town with their friend Ellis Marr for a planned meal out on July 14 last year.

But a coroner, sitting at Barrow Town Hall, heard Miss Mitchell appeared to have lost control of her Toyota Yaris on a bend in the road near Bootle.

The vehicle collided with an oncoming Transit van driven by Patrick Troll, the hearing was told.

Now, assistant coroner for Cumbria Robert Chapman is to write a Regulation 28 letter to the Department for Transport outlining the circumstances of the accident in a bid to help prevent any further loss of life in the future.

The letter will call for discussions into whether a graduated approach for new drivers should be introduced nationwide, preventing anyone who has recently passed their test from taking passengers with them for a set period.

The inquest heard how several passing motorists stopped to help almost immediately after the crash at around 7.50pm on the rainy summer’s night.

However, despite all efforts, both Miss Mitchell and Miss Huddleston, who had been friends since primary school, suffered fatal injuries in the impact and were pronounced dead at the scene.

Michael Cummings was first to reach the accident as he travelled home from work, the inquest was told.

He called an ambulance, opened the door of the car to check upon the three teenagers and began to carry out CPR on Miss Mitchell.

Katie Phillips, a nurse who was on holiday with her family, also stopped and carried out CPR on both Miss Mitchell and Miss Huddleston at the roadside with the help of her daughters and Richard Grearson, another passerby.

Mrs Phillips said: “We worked in a circle doing CPR between Skye and Caitlin, and holding Ellis’s head.

“The ambulance service arrived and established that Skye had died, and then also Caitlin.”

And Alan Brown, a farmer who lives nearby, arrived and helped to lift the two front seat passengers from the car.

Police accident investigator PC Anthony Winter said the road had been wet as Miss Mitchell approached the left hand bend.

Police calculations revealed that with the conditions available, the bend could be negotiated safely at no more than 59mph - even though the speed limit of the road is 60mph.

A statement read out on behalf of Mr Troll said he saw the car lurch slightly left before then swerving right, into the path of the Transit van.

After hearing the evidence, Mr Chapman ruled the teenagers died of multiple injuries as a result of a road traffic collision.

No-one involved in the accident had consumed any alcohol or banned substances and neither the Yaris or the Transit van were found to have any defects that could have contributed to the crash.

Mr Chapman said: “What’s remarkable is the amount of effort that everyone put into trying to save these two girls but it was very clear from the pathologist’s report that it is likely that they died very soon after the impact.

“The work of PC Winter leads me to the conclusion that Skye was driving a little too fast for the road and the conditions.

“It wouldn’t have been too fast if the road had been dry. But she was a new driver, inexperienced, and sometimes a little bit nervous, as we have heard.”

Mr Chapman added: “I am going to make a Regulation 28 report to the Department for Transport.

“What I am concerned about is that once people have passed their test, they have a graduated driving licence.

“A similar thing exists in Northern Ireland, which makes you wonder why we don’t already have it here.”

In passing his condolences to the families of Miss Mitchell and Miss Huddleston, Mr Chapman said: “I have never seen this court so full. It is good to see so many people here to support the families.

“I am so, so sorry for your loss. They were beautiful girls.”

Miss Marr, who had been travelling in the rear seat of the Yaris, was seriously injured and spent five months in hospital following the collision.

She has no recollection of the car journey and continues to receive treatment towards her recovery.

Mr Troll, 52, was also badly hurt and remains in hospital today.