‘Beautiful soul’ Eden Bunn died alongside the driver iearlier this year
Eden Bunn, 16, was a passenger in a car that crashed into the River Nene near Wisbech. Her body was recovered by police on March 18, 2026(Image: Family handout)
The final moments of a teenage girl have been revealed before the car she was in plunged into a river. The incident happened in Cambridgeshire, where a Volkswagen Polo containing five teenagers, aged between 16 and 18, crashed into the River Nene on North Brink, Wisbech, on March 17.
CambridgeshireLive reports three teenagers, including two girls aged 16 and an 18-year-old boy, managed to escape the car. However, the driver Declan Berry, 18, and Eden Bunn, 16 and from Sutton Bridge in Lincolnshire, died as a result of the crash.
The inquest into Eden’s death was concluded on Tuesday (September 22) by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Coroner Elizabeth Gray at Vantage House in Huntingdon. The cause of Eden’s death was confirmed to be a head injury as a result of a road traffic collision.
Evidence heard in court revealed the road, which has a 60mph speed limit, had “numerous potholes” and “uneven surfaces along its length”.
Three passengers survived the collision. A statement from the front seat passenger read out in court said Declan had been driving at around 90mph moments before the crash. When the passenger asked Declan to “slow down”, the teen driver reportedly replied “we will be fine”.
The passenger believed Declan had intended to “show off”. They said a pothole possibly caused the vehicle to “suddenly lose control”.
Another passenger described the atmosphere as “eerie”, adding that they did not express concern about the speed as they were “accustomed” to Declan driving fast. The witness statement explained that Eden shouted “Declan” moments prior to the collision that killed her.
A third passenger said they recalled the vehicle “flipping” and “rolled” before entering the river. At one point, the witness believed they “may not be able to escape”. This passenger recalled hearing a “thud” prior to the incident, which they thought may have been caused by a pothole.
In written evidence read at the inquest, a nearby local named Thomas, who was adjacent to the River Nene, said he heard a “loud impact”, describing the vehicle as “rolling through the air”. He heard “multiple people screaming” and contacted the emergency services before rushing to locate the surviving occupants.
An inquest into Declan’s death on Monday (September 21), heard that the 18-year-old, who died of drowning, was the driver of the vehicle and had three penalty points on his licence.
At the time of her death, Eden’s family paid tribute to her. Eden’s family described her as the “kindest” and “most loving girl”. They added: “Her horses – Daisy and Dolly – were her world, and she was ours. Words cannot describe the tragedy that will stay with us until we are able to meet her again.”
Eden’s father Dean, mother Lisa, brother Jay and sister Shelby released the following statement after the inquest: “Eden was the kindest most wonderful person and to have her snatched away from us so suddenly has left us heartbroken. She was a beautiful soul and had such a love of life. No words can describe the devastation we feel and we will never get over losing her.
“We don’t want to say anything about the lad who was driving. He has lost his life and his parents are going through the same living nightmare that we are. Nothing will bring Eden back and her death is a horrific reality we will have to live with forever.”
Sarah Townsend, a specialist personal injury lawyer from Hodge Jones & Allen who represents the family, said: “Eden’s passing has understandably left her family inconsolable with grief and struggling to cope. What is most tragic is that it was entirely avoidable and should serve as a warning to young drivers to not drive recklessly and put others at risk. I hope that now the inquest process has concluded, Eden’s family can slowly start to rebuild their lives.”
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