A TEENAGER died on a Greek island just three days into her holiday after losing control of a quad bike, a coroner’s court has heard.
Shannon O’Dwyer, 18, was killed after she accidentally swerved into the path of an oncoming car in Zante last August.
She had celebrated turning 18 just nine days before her death.
Ms O’Dwyer’s friends told the coroner how the law student stood up on the quad bike and seemed to be in control.
However, things took a tragic turn for the worst when she lost control of the vehicle and crashed into an oncoming car.
The court heard how her two friends, who had hired the quad bikes with her, rushed to her side after the accident.
But despite paramedics’ attempts to save her life, the teen passed away in hospital on August 20 of last year.
During the inquest Ms O’Dwyer’s father revealed that she had been riding quad bikes since her childhood and claimed it was not unusual for her to go without a helmet.
A verdict of death by road traffic collision was recorded at Croydon Coroner's Court on July 2, by assistant coroner Sonia Hayes, who offered her sympathies to Ms O’Dwyer’s loved ones.
“It appears that at some point, for some reason, she started to lose control of the bike and it started to rock and she had difficulty getting control again,” she said.
“She was a confident girl, exuberant, and she had decided that she wanted to ride quad bikes on holiday.
“To her friends, I know how shocking it must be. You are young, you feel invincible.”
