Floral tributes left for Talia Roberts at fatal crash scene

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Talia Roberts’ Ford Fiesta careered into a tree at 90mph after a nail punctured her tyre. The 24-year-old, who was not wearing a seatbelt, died at the scene of chest injuries. 

Talia Roberts was a young woman with everything to look forward to, with a new home and new career

Mark Kendall, Grimsby and North Lincolnshire coroner

Talia’s inquest heard she was speeding on the rural A1077 between Scunthorpe and Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire, a road with a legal limit of 60mph.

The newly qualified social worker was travelling to work when she lost control of the vehicle and it ploughed into a ditch, Hull Live reports.

Paying tribute to Talia yesterday at the inquest in Cleethorpes, her heartbroken family said she had a heart of gold and was loved by all who knew her.

Her death – on December 5, 2019, – happened days before she was due to attend her graduation ceremony at University of Nottingham. Her family went in her honour.

The inquest heard Talia had also moved into a new house with partner Elliott in Barton-upon-Humber and, days before the accident, had been decorating it for Christmas.

Mark Kendall, Grimsby and North Lincolnshire coroner, said: “Talia Roberts was a young woman with everything to look forward to, with a new home and new career.

“I am sorry she was lost in these tragic consequences.”

The coroner said the front tyre was underinflated due to a nail which had not been present for long and would not have been obvious to the driver.

He said there had been no time to react to the loss of control.

PC Robert Sawyer, Humberside Police forensic collision examiner, said the nail was discovered in a front tyre and caused the tyre to be underinflated. The manufacturer’s recommended tyre pressure for the Ford Fiesta is 34psi.

But he discovered the tyre was only at 12psi.

PC Sawyer said the deflated tyre would not have been immediately noticeable. He told the hearing the nail had only recently punctured the tyre as there was no evidence that it has been in place for any length of time.

The severe front impact of the collision caused the speedometer to “freeze” between 85mph and 90mph, the officer said.

The social worker had not been using her mobile phone, crash investigators revealed after retrieving it from the scene.

First on the scene, motorist Kerry Ogg said she was travelling in the opposite direction on the rural road when she saw a plume of smoke ahead. She called emergency services.

But tragically she saw the driver had been killed in the impact with the tree.

Police officers were first on the scene, soon followed by fire crews and ambulance paramedics. Sadly, they were unable to revive Talia.

In tribute, Talia’s elder sister Kirsty Holden told how their mother Dawn died in 2012, when Talia was a schoolgirl. 

Kirsty said: “Everyone loved her so much. She excelled in everything she did.”

She added: “Sadly her new life was cut short just five days before her graduation. We still attended the graduation.”

The sister told how Talia had grown up with a hole in her heart but it had healed as she grew older.

“She was a fantastic, loving person with a heart of gold, loved by everyone. She had achieved her dream job.”

Talia, who had a twin brother, Soul, was aunt to four nieces and three nephews.

Kirsty added: “She was usually late for everything. It was a standing joke in the family that she would be late for her own funeral.

“At her funeral we arranged for everyone to be in 15 minutes before so it appeared she was late.

“She had a happy life and achieved so much in the time she was with us.”

After the hearing Kirsty said: “We want her to be remembered for the way she was and not the accident.”

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