A YOUNG Turkish au pair, who died after crossing Hickley's Corner against the lights, may have been distracted by her mobile phone.

An inquest into the death of 22-year-old Didem Cayirli heard she was seen "looking down at her mobile phone" when she crossed the busy crossroads with the pedestrian lights on red. She walked into the path of Nicholas Summers' Nissan sports car just before 7-20 pm last December 11.

Miss Cayirli's former employer, Folly Hill woman Roz Dewey, told an inquest in Woking last week that her then employee of two months was on her way to a Christmas party at Farnham College, where she was studying English.

Mrs Dewey said she had dropped Miss Cayirli in South Street, from where she would cross Hickley's Corner towards Farnham station and the college.

But collision investigator Pc Chris Annetts said Miss Cayirli must have made that crossing, only to cross back to return towards the town centre. She had passed the central reservation when she was hit by Nicholas Summers' Nissan sports car.

Mr Summers, who was travelling towards Guildford, told the inquest: "The first I saw was what I now believe to be a scarf which appeared in front of the car and then there was the collision."

Mr Summers said he couldn't be sure if Miss Cayirli was on the crossing.

Nicholas Rumble, a friend and passenger in Mr Summers' car, which was in the middle lane, said the traffic lights were green, in Mr Summers' favour.

"I saw nothing until the last second, then I saw a white scarf, a figure and a hand there (held up) but by then it was too late," he said.

Mr Rumble said he did not see where Miss Cayirli was looking, but said she looked like she had a mobile phone with her.

"I went back to investigate. The girl was lying there and I ran to the lights to stop any other cars coming." He added that the roads were damp but rain had not reduced visibility.

Alexander Dodd, who was in the outside lane behind Mr Summers' car, concurred that the roads were damp and it was misty. "I wouldn't say the driving conditions were perfect," he said. "The lights went from amber to green and I saw a girl dawdling across the road on a mobile phone."

Asked by the coroner, Michael Burgess, if Miss Cayirli looked before crossing, Mr Dodd said: "No. She was looking down at her mobile phone. I was just approaching the first set of traffic lights when I saw her. She carried on walking across straight into the path of the car. She wasn't on the crossing, she was down the road a little bit."

Recalling what he saw immediately after the impact, Mr Dodd went on: "She shot in the air and landed in the middle lane. I pulled over and ran towards her. The driver said get an ambulance and I told them to stay with the body while I rang the police "

Pc Annetts said he believed Miss Cayirli crossed at the crossing, a view supported by a witness, who did not attend the inquest.

Pc Annetts said the damage to the car and the distance Miss Cayirli's body travelled suggested it was travelling between 40 and 45 mph.

Finding that Miss Cayirli's death was an accident, coroner Michael Burgess told the inquest Miss Cayirli had died from multiple injuries and that an examination of her body showed no signs of alcohol or drugs.

"Whether she was distracted or not is unclear. Didem tried to cross the road even though the lights were against her," he said.