A YOUNG woman who died after losing control of her car on a New Forest road was more than twice the drink drive limit and was likely to have been speeding, an inquest heard.

Polly Darvall died instantly from head injuries when her car hit a tree after it left the road coming out of a bend on an unlit stretch between Brockenhurst and Beaulieu.

She was described by one friend as “the life and soul of the party” who “lit up the room the minute she walked in”.

The 22-year-old was coming home from a member of staff’s wedding party at The Pig Hotel in Brockenhurst, where she had been waitressing for the last six months to earn money towards travelling the world, when the crash happened at around 1am on October 31 last year.

Although from Taunton, Polly had been living with relatives in Exbury.

Her VW Beetle was found by one of her work colleagues who raised the alarm.

Hampshire Police collision investigator Sgt Simon Brooks told the Winchester inquest the car’s movement as it left the B3055, close to the turn-off for Roundhill campsite, indicated Polly had steered excessively to the left for an unknown reason.

He said this was consistent with difficulties negotiating the bend and road markings have since been brought in on that stretch of road.

The inquest heard Polly had gone out with friends for a meal at The Haven in Lymington earlier in the evening where they had drinks.

Polly then drove from a friend’s house in Brockenhurst to The Pig Hotel where she had other drinks, witnesses said. Tests showed alcohol levels of 190mg per 100ml of blood - 2.4 times the limit.

Sgt Brooks said he could not rule out that another car or an animal could have been on the road, but there was no evidence.

“The high level of alcohol detected in her system would have seriously compromised Miss Darvall’s ability to drive and as such is likely to have been the most significant factor in causing her sudden and premature death,” he said adding that, in his opinion, Miss Darvall had been driving above the 40mph speed limit.

Coroner for Central Hampshire Grahame Short, recording a verdict of accidental death, said: “A death like this is a tragedy and a complete waste of a life.”