Girl, 13, who was struck by car, 'had smile that lit up a room', inquest told

The father of a 13-year-old girl who died after being struck by a car as she got off a school bus has told an inquest they do not want any other family to suffer the same loss.

The inquest into Caitlin Hogg's death found she died on 8 December 2022, as a result of a traumatic brain injury caused by the collision two days earlier on the Moher Road, Kinawley, in County Fermanagh.

Coroner Joe McCrisken delivered the findings of the inquest at Enniskillen courthouse on Wednesday.

Caitlin's father Bob Hogg addressed the inquest when findings concluded and described his daughter as a "beautiful girl whose smile lit up the room".

Hogg said she was "full of wisdom and never took things too seriously, she took everything in her stride".

McCrisken said the Mount Lourdes Grammar School student was returning home on the afternoon of 6 December and the bus stopped across the road from the entrance to her family home, adding that "conditions were dry, light was diminishing".

After getting off the bus, Caitlin attempted to cross the road from behind the bus and was struck by a car that was approaching on the other side.

The coroner outlined how witnesses immediately came to her assistance and CPR was administered until emergency services arrived.

The teenager was transported to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children where it was described she had "catastrophic head injuries".

The coroner said evidence showed the car involved in the collision would have been travelling 45 mph or less, adding that there was no evidence it had been travelling at excess speed.

When the driver noticed Caitlin emerge from behind the bus, they veered to the left in an attempt to avoid her, travelling partly on the road verge.

The school bus's amber warning lights were operating at the time, that signal children are either getting on board or getting off, and that it was stopped for about 12 seconds.

The coroner said the schoolgirl would have been visible for only a short time of around 1.2-2.7 seconds before the collision, adding that due to the evidence he was more inclined to "move to the shorter length of time".

The coroner found this time was "insufficient" for the driver to react in time to avoid impact, despite an attempt to veer away.

A statement read out on behalf of a police officer said the driver told them at the scene: "She came behind the bus and I didn't see her, I'm sorry".

He also said the car did not have any mechanical issues and the driver did not have a medical emergency.

The inquest heard that Caitlin may not have perceived the risk due to a number of factors including the movement and position of the bus and the noise of the bus engine.

The coroner added that the presence of the bus was a relevant feature of the collision.

The coroner's findings were based off evidence given to the inquest by a forensic mechanical engineer.

A statement was read out on behalf of the driver of the Education Authority's 'yellow' school bus, who told the inquest he recalled picking Caitlin up that morning "as he would have five days a week".

He said he dropped her off at about16:30 GMT across from her home.

"Once I was happy she was off the bus…I could see she was standing on the grass and there was nobody waiting for her but that was not unusual," he said.

The bus driver added that he checked his mirrors and moved off. In his statement, he outlined how the school bus's doors will not open when the handbrake is off.

Statements were also read out on behalf of witnesses who stopped to help at the scene of the crash, paramedics, police officers and consultants.

Caitlin's father said his daughter was "very sociable, a bubbly child who loved family outings and hanging out with friends… and she was blessed with the best friends who were kind to her".

Bob Hogg said that Caitlin loved her local community, particularly helping out with her local GAA club.

He added: "No words can truly describe the heartache…her death has left a void that can never be filled. We think of her every moment of every day and she will never be forgotten.

"We do not want any other family to suffer the loss we have."

In closing, McCrisken recognised the work the Hogg family have been doing alongside other bereaved families to raise awareness and highlight the risks faced by pedestrians and school children.

He added that "the circumstances of Caitlin's death have given rise to the wider conversation around the safety of children and pedestrians… pedestrians are vulnerable and children are vulnerable".

McCrisken said any reform of legislation surrounding road safety was a matter for local politicians.