A 'BEAUTIFUL' junior paramedic was killed when her ambulance smashed into the back of a cement truck, an inquest heard.

       Newly qualified Alice Clark, 21, had only been in the job for a few weeks when she died when the ambulance smashed into the back of the tanker parked in the lay-by.

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       Newly qualified paramedic Alice Clark, 21, tragically died at the scene 3

       The ambulance hit the kerb, then the back of a parked Scania lorry before bouncing off and embedding itself in the back of a parked and attended Volvo tanker

       The ambulance was on blue lights responding to an emergency when the ambulance drove into the slip road, hit the kerb and bounced off a parked lorry before embedding itself in the back of the cement tanker.

       The accident happened on January 5 at 8.16pm near Tonbridge, Kent after the driver drove into a slip road rather than a turning.

       Ms Clark, from Newington, Sittingbourne, died in the collision and her inquest was opened and adjourned at County Hall, Maidstone.

       The fatal crash happened in a lay-by off the coastbound carriageway and the court heard Edward Riding was driving the ambulance to an emergency on blue lights.

       Coroner's clerk Richard Smith said: "For reasons unknown the vehicle took the slip road to the lay-by instead of the next exit towards the Morley Road roundabout."

       The ambulance hit the kerb, then the back of a parked Scania lorry before bouncing off and embedding itself in the back of a parked and attended Volvo tanker.

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       Mr Smith said: "The impact caused the ambulance to become embedded into the rear of the tanker trapping both the driver and front-seat passenger who was Miss Clark."

       A third occupant, Megan Kuhn, was in the back of the ambulance and managed to get out of it with help but she suffered a severe concussion.

       Miss Clark had to be cut free by Kent Fire and Rescue and later, Dr Richard McQuillan of HEMS declared that Miss Clark had passed away at 9.42pm.

       The ambulance driver was flown by air ambulance to King's College Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

       The cause of death was given as lower limb and pelvic fractures with retroperitoneal haemorrhage from a vehicular crash.

       Alice had only joined South East Coast Ambulance Service in November.

       KILLED ON DUTY

       Her devastated parents paid tribute to their "beautiful, kind" daughter, the next day on Thursday, January 6.

       A small service was attended by emergency crews yesterday in memory of Alice yesterday.

       Last week, a service was held to remember Alice where flowers were laid.

       On social media, a post from Secamb said: "Yesterday #SECAmb crews from Paddock Wood and Critical Care paramedics joined with her family and colleagues from Kent Police, Kent Fire and Rescue Service, London Ambulance Service NHS Trust and Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex in a small service to remember Alice and lay flowers at the scene."

       Those at the service included Secamb staff who had attended the crash.

       Yasmin Bekir, who studied at the University of Greenwich with Alice, has set up a Gofundme page to raise money to help her family cope during this time.

       Other friends and colleagues and the Health Secretary have also paid tribute to Alice.

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       Two other paramedics were airlifted to hospital