A MOMENTARY lapse of concentration may have led to the death of a former Chester Queen’s School student described as the “perfect daughter” and the “perfect student”.

Gifted pianist Amy Underhill, 19, was not speeding when she crashed her Vauxhall Corsa on the A51, near Tarporley, in Cheshire, on June 24 after a night out with two girl friends.

Amy, of Northop Hall, near Mold, a student at Birmingham University, probably lost concentration and panicked, a police accident investigator told a Chester inquest yesterday.

Described by her parents Steve and Pam as the “perfect daughter” and by her old high school as the “perfect student”, she had won a string of piano competitions, including the Bromborough and Chester Festival, had been a finalist in the prestigious Flint Young Musician of the Year, and scooped several trophies at her school.

Assistant deputy Chester coroner Dr Geoff Robert said toxicology reports showed no trace of alcohol or drugs in Amy’s body, her car was in good mechanical condition, and she had not broken the speed limit.

Amy and friends, Caroline Clarke and Georgina Washbrook, who sur- vived the crash, had met for a night in Chester and afterwards left in Amy’s car via Vicar’s Cross towards Tarporley, to take Georgina home.

Caroline said: “Amy drove steadily at around 50mph. I considered Amy to be a careful driver. We were all having a happy time and were relaxed. We started to lose control and, despite Amy’s best efforts, the car left the road and then it bounced around and spun.”

Amy had only one alcoholic drink at around 9pm and she didn’t think it had affected Amy in any way.

She was taken to Countess of Chester Hospital and pathologist Dr Sally Hales said a fence had caused a serious chest injury and Amy had died from a pulmonary haemorr- hage (bleeding into the lungs).

PC Michael Baddeley of Winsford police collision investigation unit said: “The car rotated anti clock- wise and rotated again on impact with the gate post, which caused it to spin and detach the gate. This bend can be easily negotiated within the national national speed limit of 60mph.

“The car had drifted as it negotiated the bend and Amy had tried to avoid hitting the kerb by harshly steering right. The harsh steering combined with the speed of the vehicle caused it to rotate. I esti- mate the car was travelling between 48 – 53mph. It is my estimation a vehicle travelling at 100mph could negotiate the bend and that Amy has had a momentary lapse of concentration and drifted towards the kerb and panicked and swerved away from the kerb, which caused the vehicle to rotate and the car crossed onto the verge. It is a possible scenario that she over- corrected, swerving through several phases before mounting the verge.”

Dr Roberts recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Headteacher of Queen’s School Catherine Buckley described Amy as “the perfect student – intelligent, hard-working, a loyal friend and wonderful young woman”. She said the school was planning to establish a musical memorial in