Schoolgirl killed in Cornwall bike crash 'died doing something she loved'

A schoolgirl was killed in a bike crash as she was cycling with her mother, an inquest has heard.

Caitlin Swan, 14, was riding her bike down a hill near Stithians in Cornwall on 28 December 2019 when she was struck by an oncoming van.

The inquest at New County Hall, Truro, heard she had a "wobble" before falling to the right and striking her head.

Ms Swan, a policewoman, said her daughter "died doing something she loved" and "lived life to the full."

"Caitlin got a wobble on and locked up - I don't recall her hitting the van," she told the inquest.

"She must have thought the van was turning quicker - but it didn't".

Caitlin's cycling helmet "exploded into fragments" when she was hit, a witness added.

"It knocked her back and [she] never stood a chance - Caitlin was still attached to her bike," said Ms Swan, who made attempts to save her at the scene.

Their bikes were serviced and checked before they went out for rides and they wore helmets and proper cycling gear, the coroner was told.

Caitlin, who was a keen scuba diver and hockey player, was saving up to go on a trip to America with her twin sister Lamorna, the court heard.

The coroner recorded a conclusion of road traffic collision.