A BURNHAM girl who died on carnival night after being hit by a car was accidentally killed, a coroner has ruled. Stephanie Shaw was hit by a Rover 200 as she crossed Highbridge Road to get to her house on November 7. Stephanie, aged 18, had just returned

A BURNHAM girl who died on carnival night after being hit by a car was accidentally killed, a coroner has ruled.Stephanie Shaw was hit by a Rover 200 as she crossed Highbridge Road to get to her house on November 7.Stephanie, aged 18, had just returned with friends from Woolavington and had been dropped off at The Lighthouse pub opposite her home.Two witnesses said they thought the car that hit her was travelling around 40mph on the 30mph road at an inquest into her death held at Bridgwater.The inquest was told the road was busier than normal at 5.30pm because of diversions for the carnival.But police road traffic investigation officer Michael Halsey said the car could not have been travelling at more than 27mph through calculations of the vehicle's skid marks and how far the body travelled.Stephanie's parents were at the inquest with friends and relatives.Driver Ian Parsons said he was sorry that Stephanie died but she ran across his car.He said: "I didn't know it was a girl. I saw a face in front of my windscreen, I slammed my brakes on and I hit the pedestrian."I just think the police could have been more helpful. It took four weeks for anybody to tell me anything."The neurologist report revealed Stephanie died of a severe brain injury.Coroner Tim Russ returned a verdict of accidental death.He said: "I'm satisfied on the evidence of the police officer who is an expert in these matters that the maximum speed of the car was 27mph.