Four cleared in car crash death

Four young friends, including two teenage girls, have been cleared of causing the death of a 17-year-old girl in a car crash in Cumbria.

Passenger Kimberly Bouch, 17, died hours after the crash on 30 December 2004 at Kirkbride Airfield near Wigton.

On Tuesday, a jury at Carlisle Crown Court found Calum Hill, 18, of Arkleby, and Philip Watson, 21, of Moor House Farm, not guilty of manslaughter.

The girls, now 16, who were driving the cars were also cleared of manslaughter.

Unlit runway

The trial, which lasted five days, heard how a group of seven friends went to the airfield at Kirkbride on the night of the crash.

The vehicles involved were a Ford Fiesta and Renault Clio, owned by Mr Hill and Mr Watson.

They set off from opposite ends of the unlit runway, driven by the then 15-year-old girls, before colliding.

Ms Bouch was seriously injured and died hours later on New Year's Eve.