A Ballasalla teenager died after suffering from a cardiac arrest caused by a car crash, an inquest heard.

The Coroner of Inquests opened the proceedings into the death of Katherine Robley, an administrator at Manx Telecom, at the Douglas courthouse today (Thursday).

Miss Robley’s family attended the opening, which began at 9.45am.

Coroner of Inquests John Needham told the court that Miss Robley died at the intensive care unit at Noble’s Hospital on Friday (October 26).

The 19-year-old had been travelling in a car which had collided with a van near the Santon Motel at 10.30pm that evening. Her boyfriend Jay Waters was critically injured in the crash and was admitted to Noble’s Hospital for treatment with the van driver also receiving hospital treatment.

A post-mortem determined that Miss Robley’s death was caused by ’hypoxic traumatic brain injuries’ as a consequence of a cardiac arrest caused by a road traffic collision.

Mr Needham passed on his condolences to Miss Robley’s family and released the body for funeral arrangements.

The inquest has been adjourned to a date to be fixed as investigations continue.