First class honours graduate killed by truck on gap-year trip to Malawi

A first-class honours graduate has been killed in a road accident in Africa while on a gap year.

Claire Spruce was hit by a truck in Malawi three days before her 27th birthday.

Her father, David, has spoken of his grief for his "lovely" daughter.

He said he had received an email from her the night before she died.

"She told us about the things she had done and what she had seen, the various safari trips she had been on where she had seen the wildlife at close quarters, the Masai Mara and the remote villages,'' he said.

"She told me not to forget her birthday and that she would be on a house boat on the Zambezi river."

Clinical psychology graduate Miss Spruce, of Cam, Gloucestershire, was hit by the lorry while standing at the roadside at the Zambia border on Nov 7.

The lorry's driver, a 24-year-old with no licence, was arrested.

"This trip was the end of her student life and a spring board into her profession. She said Malawi was one of the most wonderful countries she had been to," her father added.

Miss Spruce had started her year-long trip in September and was travelling through the continent with tour group Absolute Africa, visiting Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar.

The group were waiting in Malawi to cross into Zambia and had parked up near the border.

Miss Spruce and other members of the group crossed the road to buy lemonade when a lorry came hurtling towards them.

The group scattered but Miss Spruce fell and was hit and killed by the vehicle.

The lorry driver tried to escape but was caught by the driver of Miss Spruce's tour group.

He is now in prison in Zambia facing a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

Miss Spruce's body was due to arrive back in Britain today.

She was awarded a first-class degree in psychology from Aston University before becoming the youngest person to be selected to do a doctorate at Southampton University.

"She took every opportunity to enjoy life, she was an absolute bubble of enthusiasm and happiness,'' said Mr Spruce.

In a message left on the internet tribute website, lastingtribute.co.uk, Mr Spruce wrote: “Claire, we are all going to miss you, forever my sweet.

“I don’t really know how we will cope when you arrive home but we will try to be brave for you. I do hope my sweetheart that you didn’t suffer and that the time you had with us during your life was a happy time.

“You are now in God’s hands, I know you will be looked after.”