The driver of a car involved in a crash which claimed the life of his girlfriend will be interviewed by officers as soon as he is well enough, say police.

An investigation continues into the circumstances of the smash in Shalloak Road, Canterbury, which left 18-year-old Emily Laker dead.

Her boyfriend Mentesh Da Silva, 18, from Teynham, was at the wheel of a Renault Clio when it left the road and hit a tree.

He suffered serious injuries and remains in hospital recovering.

Emily was a front seat passenger. A man sitting in the back of the car escaped with minor injuries.

Mr Da Silva had collected Emily from the Tyler’s Kiln pub in Tyler Hill where she had been working on the night of August 30. They are thought to have been heading into Canterbury.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash, which left the road shut for eight hours as accident investigators inspected the scene.

This week, Sgt Scott Lynch said: “We are waiting for the medical condition of the driver of the Clio to improve before we talk to him formally.”

The tragedy has sparked renewed concerns about the safety of Shalloak Road as it passes downhill out of Broad Oak, with calls for extra traffic calming measures.

Builder Paul Dale, who used to live in Shalloak Road, voiced his fears about the road three years ago and predicted a fatality following a serious pile-up.

Now living in Normandy in France, Mr Dale, 48, said: “Sadly, my warning has come tragically true and I was very sad to read about the death on KentOnline.

“But I said it would happen unless some safety measures were introduced because you only have to get a wheel off the tarmac going down the hill and you are going to be in the trees.

“I wrote to the county council and phoned on numerous occasions.

“They did put up some reflective posts at the side of the road but they weren’t very effective and soon became covered in undergrowth.

“I feel so sorry for the poor girl’s family because it was a tragedy waiting to happen.”

In 2007, a Romanian farm worker was killed when the car he was a passenger in left the road and hit a tree in the same location.

Vivienne Lorimer, who also lives in Shalloak Road, says she too has written previously to Kent Highways about the road.

She said: “I believe the solution consists of removing trees - a potential source of harm - from this small area.

“This is compounded by a dangerous deep ditch which needs securing, with a deep gravel area constructed to slow and halt the vehicle, as with a similar safety structure on the downward approach to Dover.”

Kent County Council says it is awaiting the outcome of the police investigation.

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