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Teen run over while 'joyriding' loading vehicle

Lewis Adamsat Essex Coroner's Court
News imageEssex Police Tallulah Bradford and her mother sitting together in a bar. Tallulah has her light brown hair up behind her head, with curls on either side of her face, and is wearing a dark jacket. She is leaning on her mother, who has long dark brown hair, is wearing black-framed glasses and a brown fur jacket. Essex Police
Tallulah Bradford (left) "always lived her best life", her mother (right) has said

An 18-year-old woman was fatally run over after falling off a mini loading vehicle she was joyriding with friends, a coroner said.

Tallulah Bradford suffered a traumatic head injury at about 00:30 BST on 13 June in Chalkwell Park, Southend-on-Sea.

She was taken to the Royal London Hospital but died five days later.

Area coroner Michelle Brown suspended an inquest into her death in Chelmsford so Essex Police could continue investigating the incident.

An 18-year-old man from Westcliff-on-Sea and a boy, 17, from Leigh-on-Sea, were arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and remain on bail until September.

News imageJamie Niblock/BBC A person in white overalls is on the ground at the front of a small, green, single-seater, four-wheeled vehicle which has two forks at the front. It has a roof over the driver's seat. It is cordoned-off on a path, and has blue and white police tape around trees.Jamie Niblock/BBC
Forensic officers examined a green lifting machine in the aftermath of the incident

Opening the inquest, Brown said Bradford was with her friends in Chalkwell Park when the incident happened.

"A compact articulated loader was being driven around the park and she was holding on to the side," she told Essex Coroner's Court.

"I think it was fair to say it wasn't being driven by somebody in employment... they were joyriding, effectively."

Bradford, who was from Southend, was taken to the Royal London Hospital but died from her head injuries at 19:38 on 18 June.

Brown suspended the inquest proceedings for four months at the request of police.

News imageJamie Niblock/BBC A small one-seater maintenance vehicle. It has one seat and a roller at the front. A forensics person in white overalls and a uniformed police officer are standing on the other side of police tape in front of it. There is a white building with the word "Meta" on its front.Jamie Niblock/BBC
A small vehicle with a roller at its front was also behind police tape

Detectives from the force said there were a large number of people in the park and urged them to come forward.

In a statement, Bradford's mother said: "Tallulah always lived her best life, had a beautiful soul and life will never be the same without her."

Her friends also paid tribute, recalling childhood memories together and noting her "kind-hearted" nature.

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