An inquest has sadly heard that Grace Brockelsby, 19, from Boston, Lincolnshire, died after taking Japanese anti-anxiety drug, Etizolam, and stepping out in front of a truck. She was hit by driver, Marc Gibbins, 48, and later passed away in hospital.
The drug isn't licensed in the UK and has been described by FRANK, a drug information campaign, as "highly addictive" and may cause "short-term memory loss, sleepiness and slows the body and brain down."
On the day of the accident, Grace was at a psychiatric appointment in a nearby hospital, but fled the scene when her doctor briefly left the room to photocopy something. In his statement, Marc Gibbins said that Grace initially looked as though she was waiting to cross the road: "She was on the grass verge and looking as if she was waiting to cross. She was looking in my direction. As I was almost level with her, I saw her step out in front of me. I couldn't do anything in time to avoid hitting her."
It's believed that anti-anxiety drugs may have affected Grace's cognitive ability at the time of her tragic accident. Area coroner for Lincolnshire, Paul Smith, said there wasn't enough evidence to clearly suggest it was a suicide attempt. "I record that her intention in so doing cannot be determined to the required standard," he said. "Drivers are sometimes forgotten victims in cases like this and he has my sympathies as well as the family."
It's reported by Spalding Today, that Grace had long suffered from mental health issues, including an eating disorder, and had previously attempted to overdose on medicine.
Speaking on behalf of Grace's family, Lisa Teague said, "I think all family and friends present here today do believe that Grace did intend to take her own life."
Grace's mother, Thea Cox-Williams, described her as, "[A] gentle, kind-hearted, caring, elaborate, quirky, and infectious individual. She was unique and inspirational—there are no words to describe how amazing she was."
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This article originally appeared on Cosmopolitan.com/uk. Minor edits have been made by the Cosmo.ph editors.
