Safety plea by bridge plunge lawyer’s mum

THE mother of a trainee lawyer who fell 30ft from a bridge and died after escaping a burning car has called for extra safety measures.

Azra Kemal (pictured), 24, was travelling home to London with a friend when their Ford Focus caught fire on the A21 near Tonbridge, Kent, on July 16. The pair escaped from the car and crossed the road to seek help.

As Ms Kemal tried to make her way back across the road, she is believed to have fallen down a gap in the central reservation and suffered ‘catastrophic’ injuries. Her mother, Nevres Kemal, called for CCTV, lighting, a barrier, signs and a hard shoulder to be installed. ‘My daughter lost her life. May she be the last,’ she told an inquest in Maidstone.

Recording a verdict of misadventure, assistant coroner Alan Blunsdon said he was satisfied she had consumed alcohol to the point where she was unsteady on her feet.

‘The likely physical impairment caused by consumption of alcohol and the emotional roller coaster experienced by Azra that night are likely to have contributed to a lack of clear judgment,’ he added.

Nicola Bell, of Highways England, told the hearing she would take away some of the points raised.