Student died on slippery bend that officials ruled was not worth repairing Miss Boughton's family, including Amy, her mother Charlotte, father Richard, sister Katie, 18, and brother Jack, 16, were in court to hear Roger Hatch, the North West Kent coroner, blame the failure to repair the road on "a question of money." Describing the moments before the crash, Amy said: "Halfway around the bend I felt the back of the car slip out and we started going towards the other side of the road. I called out to Lucy and she replied in panic, 'Oh my God. She tried to correct the car but it swung towards the trees. The next thing I recall is coming to and seeing headlights lighting up the tree trunks. Alexandra Luck, an independent consultant employed by Kent Police to investigate the accident, confirmed that the local council had received complaints in 2009 and 2010 about the safety of the road. In its response in 2010, the council said high-friction surfacing would be laid in January 2011, but this was not done. Ms Luck told the inquest: "I believe that there have been significant systemic failures to maintain the highway, despite a worsening safety record." Elio Rapa, a manager for the engineering consultants Balfour Beatty Mott MacDonald, said the firm had been employed by the Highways Agency, which was responsible for the road, to carry out four investigations between 2009 and 2011, but the route did not "score" highly enough to receive funding. Mr Rapa said: "After the fatality we couldn't wait for another to happen and the HA authorised funding for high-friction surfacing." Delivering his verdict, Mr Hatch said: "So it's a question of money - the bend wasn't a national priority but, when an accident like this happens, funds can suddenly be found?" Miss Boughton's family, from Sevenoaks, paid tribute to her. Her mother said: "There are no words we can offer to express how much we will all miss her. She was blossoming into the person she wanted to be and we all dreamed she would be. A Highways Agency spokesman said: "Our deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of Lucy Boughton following the tragic incident on the A21. We will give very careful consideration to any written recommendations from the coroner.