POLICE have appealed for witnesses following a car accident on the Devizes to Beckhampton road on Monday that claimed the life of teenager Annabel Maurice.

The 18-year-old former award-winning pupil of Dauntsey's School, West Lavington, died after her Citroen Saxo car collided with a Ford Transit van.

The crash occurred in heavy rain near Shepherds Shore on the A361, on the Marlborough side of the junction with the Calne road.

Annabel, a GP's daughter from Malborough, was driving towards her home town after spending a night with friends in Devizes. She received fatal injuries in the crash and died at the scene.

Police have appealed for help in trying to establish how the collision occurred.

Annabel was following a van which overtook a JCB digger. It's believed she was in the act of overtaking when her car collided with an on-coming Transit van.

It was being driven by a 72-year-old man from Weston-super-Mare who was taken to The Royal United Hospital, in Bath, with chest injuries but was released later the same day.

PC Tom Wilson from Salisbury traffic section said five vehicles were involved, the Citroen Saxo, the Ford Transit, the JCB, a green Land Rover Discovery and a silver Ford Mondeo estate.

The accident occurred in heavy rain at about 10.10am. The road remained closed until 2.30pm while police carried out their investigation.

PC Wilson: "Wiltshire police would like to speak to anyone who can give any information concerning this collision and who has not already spoken to the police."

Witnesses should contact the traffic section at Salisbury on (01722) 435355 or Marlborough Police Station on (01672) 512311.

The Wiltshire coroner, David Masters, was informed of the accident and will be opening an inquest either today or tomorrow.

Details of the funeral cannot be arranged until the inquest has been opened.

The inquest will be adjourned for a full hearing later.

Dauntsey's School, from where Annabel graduated last summer, said staff and pupils were deeply saddened by her tragic death.

The school said in a statement: "Annabel was a vibrant, life-loving girl who brought huge enthusiasm and energy to everything she did.

"She was very talented, warmly caring towards others, and with an irrepressible sense of humour tremendous company. She was much loved; we will miss her greatly."

Annabel was the youngest of the three children of the Rev Dr David and Rachel Maurice, of Kingsbury Street, Marlborough.

Dr Maurice is a GP in the town and a curate with the Marlborough team of churches.

Annabel was as bright as she was beautiful said friends, a girl who did not have a care in the world other than to care for other people.

The former Dauntsey's scholar had been working at the Brendoncare home for the elderly at Froxfield, near Marlborough, since October.

Annabel was planning to spend part of her gap year between school and university in South America, not just holidaying but teaching English to youngsters.

Friends and family said Annabel's whole reason for being was giving, sharing and caring for others.

Her mother and father have been too distraught since Monday's accident, to talk about their loss.

They have been comforted at home by their two sons, Edward and James.

James was called home from Edinburgh University where he is studying medicine.

He could follow in the footsteps of six previous generations of his family and become a doctor in Marlborough.

Annabel was planning to go to Leeds University in September to read English and drama.

She was an exceptionally bright student at Dauntsey's and at last July's prizegiving she was awarded the James Robertson biology prize and a prize for English.

Former Marlborough GP Dr Nick Maurice, a cousin of Dr David, said: "Annabel has been described as a free spirit, a bright and lively person and a very fine actress.

"She was keen on using that particular skill to work with people with learning difficulties and it looked as though that would be the direction she would go after university."