An influencer and her boyfriend were killed when the Audi S3 he was driving hit an oncoming taxi when doing nearly 100mph in a Liverpool tunnel, an inquest heard.
Paige Rice, 22, was in the passenger seat of the car driven by Callum Miller, 27, when it collided with a taxi in the early hours of October 17 last year. The inquest heard she had been visiting him in Liverpool.
The 22-year-old nail technician died in hospital a few hours after the crash while Callum passed away the next day.
The taxi driver, a man in his 40s, survived but needed hospital treatment for life-changing injuries involving his right leg, hip and wrist.
The car was going at 98mph on a 30mph road heading towards the Queensway Tunnel in Liverpool.
It collided with a Passat and London taxi, causing minor damage to other cars and then hit bollards. The car went into the tunnel at a fast speed before it lost control and hit a Mercedes taxi head-on.
Paige Rice, 22, (pictured) was in the passenger seat of the car driven by Callum Miller, 27, when it collided with a taxi in the early hours of October 17 last year
The impact caused heavy damage to both cars and the taxi, which had been travelling at 24.6mph, travelled backwards for a considerable distance.
CCTV was recovered which showed the initial and later collisions.
Dashcam footage from the taxi was also revealed which showed the Audi travelling at an apparent ‘fast speed’ before colliding with it.
Paige’s family paid tribute to their ‘beautiful’ girl in October last year, after she passed away.
Her mother Clare said her daughter was ‘the most beautiful girl, with the biggest smile, a contagious laugh and heart of gold’.
She posted a tribute to her daughter on Instagram with a photo of Paige with her and her brother Tyler.
Clare said the three were very close and would always be the ‘three musketeers.’
Her mother Clare said her daughter was ‘the most beautiful girl, with the biggest smile, a contagious laugh and heart of gold’. Pictured (L-R): Paige, her mother Clare and brother Tyler
She wrote: ‘As most people are aware now, my beautiful baby girl Paige has passed away.
‘She was involved in a tragic accident in the early hours and words can not describe how broken I am as her mum.
‘I’m overwhelmed by the love being shown.
‘If you were a friend of Paige she would love you with all she’s got and she would be there in an instant if you ever needed her.
‘She lived life to its fullest. She had big dreams and Paige always made things happen. Her drive to succeed was inspirational.
‘Paige has been my rock recently, I can barely breath right now and I don’t know how to carry on.
‘My house is quiet and all I want is to talk to her one last time.
‘Time is so precious and we never know when our time is up. Love each other and tell each other.’
After a fund was set up in Paige’s memory, England footballer Jack Grealish donated £5,000 to it and posted ‘RIP Paige’ on his Instagram story (pictured)
After a fund was set up in Paige’s memory, England footballer Jack Grealish donated £5,000 to it and posted ‘RIP Paige’ on his Instagram story.
When Paige was a young teenager she went to Valentine Theatre School, Birmingham, to pursue her love of dancing before she set up her own makeup artist business when she was just 15 years old.
‘Paige and myself had spoken recently about death and she told me that if she died to remember that she lived life to the absolute full,’ Clare told Birmingham Live.
‘I have chronic illnesses and Paige has pushed me to stay positive and to keep going.
‘She had massive dreams, wanted to see the world and live a full life.’
The crash was initially treated as a criminal investigation with police considering Mr Miller’s offence as causing death by dangerous driving. Pictured: Paige Rice
The crash was initially treated as a criminal investigation with police considering Mr Miller’s offence as causing death by dangerous driving.
But because of the conditions of the victims, the investigation was not progressed.
Coroner Andre Rebello gave Paige’s cause of death as trauma and Callum’s as a traumatic brain injury.
In his conclusion, the coroner said that Paige Rice and Callum Miller died due to a road traffic collision.
In his conclusion, the coroner said that Paige Rice and Callum Miller died due to a road traffic collision
Mr Rebello ended the inquest by addressing Paige’s family: ‘Today has brought back lots of wounds that have started to heal.
‘When I die, I don’t want anyone to ever think about how I died; I want people to remember me for the person they know now.
‘I don’t think anyone here would ever want to be remembered for their death. It’s appropriate and gives these young people their dignity in death if you celebrate those lives that you still hold in your hearts.
‘Death is debilitating, it covers a range of emotions, anger, bitterness, revenge, love the most important thing is not to let these deaths steal from you the person you continue to love. The only way you can do that is by storing up happy memories.
‘Life is never measured in time, the quality of life is measured in love.’ –
Coroner Mr Rebello ended the inquest saying: ‘Life is never measured in time, the quality of life is measured in love.’ Pictured: Paige
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