Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
World
Peter Craig & Danny Atherton

Woman with 'heart of gold' killed in 90mph crash

A social worker has died after her car crashed into a tree at around 90mph.

Talia Roberts, 24, was killed just five days before her graduation.

Her family attended the graduation ceremony in her honour, saying she had a heart of gold and was loved by all who knew her, Grimsby Live reports.

READ MORE: Christine McGuinness left 'intimidated' after row with man over her children

She had just landed her dream job and had moved into a new house with partner Elliott, in Barton.

The inquest heard she was travelling at about 85mph to 90mph on Ermine Street between Barton and Scunthorpe, when she crashed at 9am on December 5, 2019.

The legal limit on that road is 60mph.

Humberside Police forensic collision examiner, PC Robert Sawyer said a nail was discovered in a front tyre and caused the tyre to be under-inflated.

Mr Sawyer, said: "Coming over some of the undulations, as it has come down and there may have been some kind of steering attempt and the car started to rotate.

"The car may have lurched one way or the other. But it started to rotate and cross over on to the verge and struck the tree.

"It is possible there was some braking. It would have been difficult to contain."

The officer said, the severe front impact of the collision caused the speedometer to "freeze" between 85mph and 90mph.

He told there was no evidence a seatbelt was being worn at the time of the impact.

She had not been using her mobile phone, crash investigators revealed after retrieving it from the scene.

A post mortem examination revealed the newly-qualified social worker died from chest injuries.

Motorist Kerry Ogg said she was travelling in the opposite direction on Ermine Street when she saw a plume of smoke ahead. She called emergency services.

Police officers were first on the scene, soon followed by fire crews and ambulance paramedics but they were unable to revive Talia.

In tribute, elder sister Kirsty Holden told how their mother Dawn died in 2012, when Talia was a student formerly at Baysgarth School.

After the death of their mother she went on to study health and social care at the University of Nottingham.

Kirsty said: "Everyone loved her so much. She excelled in everything she did.

"Sadly her new life was cut short just five days before her graduation. We still attended the graduation."

The sister told how Talia had grown up with a hole in her heart but it had healed as she grew older.

She added: "She was a fantastic, loving person with a heart of gold, loved by everyone. She had achieved her dream job.

“She was usually late for everything. It was a standing joke in the family that she would be late for her own funeral.

"At her funeral we arranged for everyone to be in 15 minutes before so it appeared she was late.

"She had a happy life and achieved so much in the time she was with us."

After the hearing Kirsty said: "We want her to be remembered for the way she was and not the accident."

Talia, who had a twin brother, Soul, was aunt to four nieces and three nephews.

In his conclusion, Grimsby and North Lincolnshire coroner, Mark Kendall said: "Talia Roberts was a young woman with everything to look forward to, with a new home and new career.

“Even if she had been wearing a seatbelt the outcome may not have been any different.

"I am sorry she was lost in these tragic consequences."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.