Loggerheads teenager killed in car crash

A TEENAGER HAS died after her car crashed into a tree on her way home from college.

Rebecca Canning, 18, of Loggerheads, near Market Drayton, suffered fatal injuries in the crash yesterday afternoon.

Cheshire Police said the teenager's silver Daewoo Lanos left the southbound carriageway of the A51 between Nantwich and Woore just before 4pm.

Emergency services attended the scene, at Doddington, just south of Nantwich, but were unable to save the teenager.

Firefighters from Crewe and Nantwich freed her from the wreckage of her car.

In a statement a Cheshire Fire Service spokesman said: "Fire crews attended a road traffic collision near the Boars Head, London Road, Walgherton, Nantwich.

"Once in attendance crews discovered a saloon car had collided with a tree. Crews freed one female from the vehicle."

It is understood Miss Canning was driving home from South Cheshire College in Crewe.

Police said no other vehicles were involved in the collision.

Sergeant Helen Potter, of Cheshire Police, confirmed the identity of the victim.

"A silver Daewoo Lanos vehicle travelling along the A51 towards Woore left the carriageway to the nearside," she said.

"The driver of the vehicle, an 18-year-old female from the Market Drayton area, sustained fatal injuries.

"The female has been identified as Rebecca Elizabeth Canning."

Police closed a stretch of the A51 for about three hours to allow accident investigation work to be carried out and recovery of the vehicle.

Police said a report into the fatal collision had been prepared for the Cheshire coroner.

Chris Bentley, South Cheshire College spokes- man, today confirmed that Miss Canning had been a student at the college, where she was studying for an NVQ level two in beauty therapy.

Cheshire Police are appealing for any witnesses to the collision to contact Sergeant Potter or Constable Tony Hayhurst, of the county's Eastern Area Roads Policing Team, on (01244) 612767.

By Tom Johannsen