The family of a teenager who died when her car crashed into a tree have planned a trip abroad in her memory.

Illona Culver, of Clarendon Road, Worthing, was due to fly to Egypt with friend Sophie Knowlton on Monday.

Her mother, Beverley Culver, 37, sister Carly, 16, and brother, Charlie, 12, also of Clarendon Road, are visiting the country in October.

They plan to take something of Illona's with them to leave there.

The 18-year-old lost control of her Toyota Corolla on the A281 in Lower Beeding and hit a tree on December 19 last year.

She died two days later at Hurstwood Park Neurological Unit in Haywards Heath.

At an inquest into her death held at Horsham Magistrates Court yesterday, coroner Dr David Skipp recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Miss Culver said the inquest was the last hurdle for her family.

She said: "My children and I are devastated at the loss of our lovely Illona. We were very close and she will remain in our hearts forever. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our friends who continue to support us and keep Illona's memory alive."

Miss Culver told the hearing her daughter, a personal banker at Barclays in Chapel Road, Worthing, had been a good driver and had been fit and healthy before the crash.

Miss Knowlton, 21, of Cecilian Avenue, Worthing, survived the crash.

She told the court the last thing she remembered was hearing her friend shout her name.

She could not remember driving along the A281 and had no idea what speed the car had been doing.

She said she could not recall seeing anything on the road which might have caused Illona to lose concentration.

The pair had gone out together the night before and spent the day in Worthing. Later in the afternoon they decided to go for a drive to get something to eat.

In a statement read to the inquest, Gary Wright, of Sandygate Lane, Lower Beeding, said he heard a screech and a loud bang as he sat watching television with his four-year-old son Danny.

When he left his house to see what had happened he found Miss Knowlton wandering along on the road with blood pouring down her face.

He said: "At first I did not think there was anyone else in the car. I walked the girl out of the road because there were still cars coming and I saw another girl in the car. She had blood coming from her mouth and was having trouble breathing. She kept slipping in and out of consciousness. "

PC Michael Scott ruled out defects with the car or road as a cause of the crash. He was unable to say what speed the car was doing as skid marks had not been left on the road.

He said the car had crashed after Illona failed to negotiate a sweeping right hand bend. She hit a tree as she tried to steer the gold Toyota back on to the road.

Summing up, Dr Skipp said: "What we have not established and what is possibly never going to be established is what caused that momentary lapse in concentration."

Fund-raising events since Illona's death have raised more than £3,000, which will be spent on a memorial bench, a new bed and lifting equipment at Hurstwood Park Neurological Unit.