First picture of British schoolgirl strangled to death in freak go-kart accident in Hong Kong



Amy Rose Coxall: Scarf got caught in a go-kart engine in Hong Kong

A British schoolgirl was strangled to death in a freak accident when her scarf got caught in the engine of a motorised go-kart in Hong Kong.

Amy Rose Coxall, 15, a student at a private international school, was racing friends around the track at the city's Diamond Coast International Kart Circuit when the accident occurred.



Her speeding go-kart veered out of control and ran off the side of the track, spinning to a stop on the grass verge.

The girl’s friends found her unconscious in her seat with her blue scarf pulled tight around her neck.

Police spokesman Lee Pak-ho said: 'A witness said she was suddenly pulled to one side while driving. She was found with a scarf wound around her neck.'

Emergency services rushed her to hospital but the girl was certified dead on arrival 45 minutes after the accident at 4.30pm yesterday afternoon.

Tragic: Friends comfort one another at a Hong Kong hospital after the British teenager was declared dead



Investigation: A police officer examines the go-kart that the victim was driving



Her shocked friends were seen weeping and being comforted by parents in local TV footage as she was admitted to hospital.

Amy Rose and her seven friends - on a week-long Chinese New Year holiday from school - arrived at around noon at the circuit which is open to children aged 11 or above.



The go-karts travel at up to 90 miles per hour and parents or guardians of children must sign a liability waiver.

Accident: Police at the go-kart track in Hong Kong



Safety: Riders must undergo a training session at the four-year-old track



Riders must wear helmets and undergo a training session including a written test and a safety video before being allowed into the go-karts at the four-year-old circuit.



People with long hair are advised to tie it up before racing.

The accident happened on the coldest day of the winter so far in Hong Kong with temperatures in the sub-tropical city falling to 6 degrees Celsius.

Police and investigators at the go-kart track in Hong Kong



Wednesday's tragedy led to calls from Hong Kong’s Institute of Advanced Drivers for tighter controls on go-karts, which are not currently regulated by the government because they race on private land.

In 2001, a 20-year-old female university student was critically injured and left brain-damaged when her scarf got caught in the wheel of a go-kart on a course in Macau near Hong Kong.



