A university student killed in a hit-and-run accident outside Buckingham Palace was struck by one car before being run over by another, an inquest heard today.
Stacey Cooke, 22, from Shoreham in Kent, was knocked down by a Mercedes E-Class in The Mall at about 2.20am on November 30 last year.
As she fell into the road she was hit by a second Mercedes E-Class which drove over her and sped off without stopping.
Paramedics tried to revive Miss Cooke, who was studying planning and property development at Nottingham Trent University, but she died from multiple injuries at the scene.
Coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox said: “The main impact between Stacey and the car was on the wing mirror and her body went down the side of the vehicle before she hit the floor.
“When she was on the floor the second vehicle went over her.”
Michael Florence, the driver of the first car, stopped, but the driver of the second sped away.
Mr Florence failed to attend the proceedings despite repeated attempts to summon him, but Dr Wilcox decided the inquest at Westminster Coroner’s Court could go ahead without him.
Miss Cooke’s family were not at the hearing, but coroner’s officer Martyn Urquhart, speaking on their behalf, described the victim as a “confident and happy young lady”.
The inquest continues.
