Dancer dies in blaze after car hits a deer: Fireball on dual carriageway kills new driver and friend
- Victims are Daniela Ruggiero, 18, and a 17-year-old passenger yet to be named
- Both died at the scene, near Ware, Hertfordshire
- Citroen C1 hit a deer, collided with a Volvo V40 then burst into flames
By PAUL BENTLEY PUBLISHED: 13:58 GMT, 15 October 2013 | UPDATED: 07:01 GMT, 16 October 2013
Tragedy: Daniela Ruggiero, 18, and a 17-year-old girl yet to be named died in the accident
A talented dancer was killed when her car exploded after she hit a deer on a country road.Daniela Ruggiero, 18, who only passed her driving test in January, was travelling with a female friend when the animal ran in front of them. As she fought to control her yellow Citroen C1 it veered across the road, struck a Volvo and burst into flames, leaving Daniela and her 17-year-old friend trapped in the inferno.The identity of the second girl has yet to be formally released because not all of her relatives have been informed. Last night, friends and family paid tribute to the ‘beautiful and talented’ girls as they tried to come to terms with the shock of the sudden deaths. Miss Ruggiero, who was training to be a dance teacher at a college in Royston, Hertfordshire, had spoken to friends of her excitement at passing her test earlier this year and tweeted pictures of herself and her new three-door car.
The accident happened on the rural A10 in nearby Puckeridge.The Volvo driver, a man in his fifties, suffered leg injuries as he desperately tried to rescue the girls from their burning car.He was later taken to hospital for treatment. Emergency services teams recovered the bodies from the wreckage. Yesterday, friends spoke of their shock at what had happened after gathering to pay their respects at Miss Ruggiero’s family home in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. One relative said the family were ‘all very distraught’. A woman who asked not to be named said: ‘It is terrible. It is so sad. She was a lovely girl.’Best friend Bethany Trower paid tribute to Miss Ruggiero online, writing on Twitter: ‘RIP to my beautiful talented best friend who will be missed by so many.’ Kerrie Crockford said: ‘Daniela you were an amazing dancer and person. My thoughts are with your family and friends.’
Fatal crash: The wrecked Citroen C1 is covered in a tarpaulin and loaded onto the back of a lorry as it is taken away from the scene
Accident: The emergency services work at the scene after the Citroen hit a deer, collided with a Volvo V40 and burst into flames. The A10 near Ware, Hertfordshire, was closed for seven hours
Damage: The carriageway is marked at the spot where the accident happened on the northbound carriageway of the A10 between Puckeridge and Ware, Hertfordshire
The A10 between Ware and Puckeridge in Hertfordshire was closed for more than five hours after the crash. There are an estimated 74,000 road accidents every year involving deer, leading to more than 450 injuries and several deaths. AA president Edmund King said: ‘We have been warning of the dangers of deer as October and November are prime months for collisions as it is the rutting season.’
Talent lost: Ms Ruggiero had spoken to friends of her excitement at passing her test earlier this year and tweeted pictures of herself and her new car
Wreckage: The burned out remains of the Citroen C1 which Daniela Ruggiero, 18, and her passenger, 17, were travelling in, is driven away from the scene
Crash scene: Fire engines and a police car can be seen at the scene where the two girls were pronounced dead
Road closure: An air ambulance lands near the spot where the crash happened on the A10 close to Ware, Hertfordshire
