A YEAR after a horrific car smash which almost killed her, a brave Hampshire teenager is getting her life back on track.

Tomorrow is expected to be a tough day in the Swanmore home of Christina Corp as she recalls the accident which killed her friend Vicky Waters and changed her life forever.

But the 18-year-old is looking to the future after a remarkable 12 months which have seen her go from being half an hour from death to a miraculous recovery, defying medical experts.

She spent three months in a coma but has now learnt to walk and talk again - and is even back in the saddle of her beloved ponies Toffee and Sonny.

Christina is now hoping to go back to college in September to continue her dream of becoming a horse riding teacher.

She was taking a horse management diploma at Sparsholt College prior to the accident, has been back for two taster sessions with her old classmates and hopes to start going back more regularly in September.

Her mum Jackie Corp said: "She's doing very very well considering she was on her deathbed. She is still progressing and that's all we can hope for.

"We have just received the accident report and it makes harrowing reading. She shouldn't be alive. The thought of going back to college really motivates her and she's absolutely determined.

"But this will be a difficult time for Christina. Her friend's death and her disabilities are a lot for her to come to terms with. But she is just so grateful to be alive."

Christina suffered life-threat-ening head and pelvic injuries in a collision between Vicky's Ford Fiesta and a coach carrying 40 schoolchildren on the lethal A32, near Wickham.

She was given half an hour to live days after the accident, on the afternoon of Friday, April 2, 2004.

The death of fun-loving childcare student Vicky was the third fatality in a year on the winding road from Fareham to Alton.

Some safety measures have now been introduced at the notorious spot at Mislingford, but highway chiefs say they have no plans to change speed restrictions on the road, which has a national speed limit of 60mph for most of its length.