An inquest into the death of a depressed and lonely 18-year-old has heard she took her own life by running into traffic.

Care leaver Mara Nunes, who was living in a flat in Deal, had been discharged from hospital earlier that day following an earlier attempt to kill herself.

She was seen shortly before her death looking "worse for wear" and staring vacantly as she walked along a grass verge on the A258 Dover to Deal Road known as the Ringwould Straight.

Seconds later she was hit by driver Michael Wilmshurst in his silver Vauxhall Astra.

Coroner Alan Blundson said: "Short of locking her up there was no way this could have been prevented."

Mara, formerly from Guernsey, came to live with foster parents in Tilmanstone and attended Sandwich Technology School.

"This was a death Mara brought by herself.

"She was a very sad case. Short of locking her up there was no way this could have been prevented" - Coroner Alan Blundson

The hearing, at Sandwich Guildhall today, heard despite her family being on the island, she saw east Kent as her home.

And after her foster parents moved to France, social services in Guernsey continued to oversee her care, supporting her in finding and furnishing her flat.

But Mara, who was looking for a job, described herself as "lonely" to psychologist James Murray from Guernsey, who felt she was not mentally ill but she did suffer from depression.

She had been admitted to a mental hospital in Maidenhead in the summer of 2014 and was prescribed antidepressants.

Outreach worker Kylie Brown said how she had helped Mara move into her new flat and she was excited.

She said she had "hit it off" with her quickly and described the teen's anxieties about coping financially and practically in her flat.

On the day of her death, January 10, 2015, she had called Mara and learned she had been released from hospital.

She told the inquest she was quite shocked she'd been released and described Mara as "exhausted".

Despite the check-up call, Mara said she was fine and going out with friends.

But at 8.30pm she was seen walking along the 50mph zone by numerous drivers.

Mr Blundson concluded he was "abundantly satisfied" that Mr Wilmshurst had no chance of taking any evasive action.

When recording a verdict of suicide, he said: "This was a death Mara brought by herself.

"She was a very sad case. Short of locking her up there was no way this could have been prevented.

"No fault lies with Mr Wilmshurst, he had no opportunity to avoid a collision."

If you would like confidential support on an emotional issue, call Samaritans on 08457 116 123 at any time.