Father of dead teen gives his "best" to lorry driver who hit her

Father of 14 year old Lavna Chuttoo who succumbed to "catastrophic" head injuries following a road accident, wishes "the very best" to the traumatised driver who hit her. Lavna was on her way to school on November 17 last year when she was slammed by Gavin Jones' truck a few hundred yards from Coombe Girls' School, New Malden.

While she was attended by parents and passers-by, and an air ambulance that arrived soon Lavna was pronounced dead at the scene. Her father, Chetan Chuttoo said he got "closure" when he met a police team that investigated the accident. "I know the driver is traumatised from what happened. We wish him the very best. I received his condolences at the time, which meant a lot," he said. He called his daughter a "diamond" and talked about she "taught people to be more aware about life". "She was only 14 years old, and whatever she has done, she had done a good job and got people together and brought them together."

"Miss Chuttoo began to run into the road and in effect ran into the path of the lorry and was killed. In conclusion, it is not likely the driver would have been able to see her when she went into the road," said Detective Sergeant John Hartfree. Lavna was remembered by her friends and teachers and was praised for her "sense of humour, her happiness, her rapturous smile, and her infectious laughter."