Girl, 7, killed after riding new bike into wheels of HGV which cut through village

A schoolgirl was killed when she rode her new BMX bike into the wheels of a moving HGV that had cut through the tiny village where she lived.

Eloise Jackson, 7, had been on her way home after a trip to a recreation ground in Collingbourne Ducis in Wiltshire with her mother Laura on 13 July last year.

The pair left after around 20 minutes and Eloise was reminded to push her bike, which she had only recently learnt how to ride, but instead hopped on it, picking up speed as she went downhill.

Her mother’s statement said she was screaming her name but couldn’t run fast enough to catch up and later described seeing her completely still near the lorry.

Mrs Jackson said: “Eloise hopped on her bike despite me telling her not to. I was yelling and screaming.

“I went to the end of the road and came face to face with a lady who said 'I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry'.

“All the traffic stopped and I started screaming for someone to call an ambulance.”

Eloise had struck the Volvo articulated HGV, that was loaded with 26 tonnes of plastic, on the A338 and died in hospital later that evening.

An inquest into Eloise’s death at Swindon Coroner’s Court concluded that Eloise died as the result of a road traffic collision, having sustained “major traumatic injuries”.

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.

Collingbourne Ducis has seen a rise in HGVs “thundering” through the tiny roads in recent years, villagers say.

A petition calling for new road safety measures was launched in the wake of Eloise's death.

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.”

Eloise’s family now hope a 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.