‘Never wear headphones while on the road’

Witness looked on in horror as Amber Mattingley, 29, who appeared to be listening to music, rode straight into the side of an articulated lorry trailer without slowing down, an inquest heard.

Large headphones were found on Amber’s head at the crash scene, at the junction of Northam Road and Prince’s Street in Southampton, yesterday’s inquest was told.

Crash investigators said they could not rule out the possibility she had been listening to music.

Her mum Sylvia Britton-Prior, 48, told the Daily Echo that police had previously warned her daughter not to use them while riding her bike.

After the hearing, Mrs Britton-Prior said: “She used to have a habit of having music blaring out. You should never wear earphones when you’re on the road.”

Amber had been cycling to her cleaning job at St Mary’s fire station on the morning of March 23 when she died. She had worked there for more than three years.

The inquest heard that Amber, of Macarthur Crescent, Bitterne, Southampton, had been pedalling along the cycle lane running along Northam Road in St Denys.

But she failed to stop at the junction and slammed into the rear of a Volvo truck trailer that was turning into Prince’s Street.

Step-dad Adam Britton-Prior, who lives with the family in Nottingham, said he was mystified that she did not give way at the junction.

He said: “She did that trip all that time.”

Harry Dickinson, a self-employed lorry driver from Carlisle, Cumbria, was not aware of the collision until a car driver, who saw the accident unfold, flagged him down.

The 60-year-old had an unblemished driving record and was left traumatised by the accident.

Amber died at the scene from chest injuries.

Southampton coroner Keith Wiseman recorded a verdict of accidental death.

The family has been left devastated by the death of the popular young woman, who attended Cantell Maths and Computing College and Taunton’s College.