A teenage driver who suffered a "momentary lapse of concentration" which led to the death of her best friend will live with her mistake for the rest of her life, a court was told.

Millie Beard was driving two of her friends home from a night out when she crashed a Suzuki Swift into a HGV lorry as she negotiated a right turn on Peel Lane's junction with the A34 Newcastle Road in Astbury.

Passenger Georgia Ogden, 17, who lived in Congleton, died as a result of the injuries she sustained a day after the crash which took place around 2.30am on June 25 last year.

Beard, 18, who pleaded guilty to a charge of causing death by careless driving, was so badly hurt that she spent time in an induced coma at hospital and medics told her family that it was "touch and go" whether she would survive.

South Cheshire Magistrates' Court heard how what started as a happy night of socialising among friends turned into tragedy.

Beard, of Pine Way, Somerford, had only held a driving licence for four months and the lockdown meant she had little chance to gain experience.

Sentencing the teenager to a six-month curfew order and banning her from driving for two years, Magistrates' Chairman, Gwyneth Edwards, said: "This was a momentary lapse in concentration that has resulted in a lifetime of pain for Georgia Ogden's family and friends."

Prosecutor Simon Green said the three friends spent the latter part of the evening eating takeaway food at Mow Cop before deciding to head home at 2am.

He said there was "not enough time" for the lorry driver to react when faced with the defendant turning right at Peel Lane.

"All of the occupants of the car suffered serious injuries, but sadly Georgia died of her injuries," said Mr Green.

A victim impact statement read out on behalf of the Ogden family said their lives had been left empty by the loss of their daughter, who was a pupil at Congleton High School.

"We feel incredibly lost without Georgia in our lives. It is unbearable to believe that she is now just a memory.

"The situation has put an incredible strain on us, and we are torn as we need Millie to take more responsibility for her actions," stated the Ogden family.

"We were a strong and confident family, but we live with the constant flashbacks of seeing the police at our front door.

"Georgia had her whole life ahead of her. She was a loving daughter who is missed every single day by her family and friends."

A statement from the other teenager travelling in the Suzuki Swift at the time revealed she was suffering from "survivor's guilt" and had undergone counselling.

She suffered two fractures and needed to use crutches for a time after the collision.

Beard was a sixth form pupil at Congleton High School and was planning a career as a teaching assistant. On the day of the crash, she met with the head teacher of a primary school to pursue an apprenticeship opportunity.

Her solicitor, Bobby Bell, said the teenagers drove to a friend's house in Knypersley where some other youngsters were drinking.

Beard, he said, had not consumed any alcohol but because of delays in providing a blood sample there was "no positive evidence" of her sobriety.

The solicitor said: "There was no suggestion of mobile phone use either. The dashcam footage shows a very slow movement [of the Suzuki Swift] onto the main road [Newcastle Road].

"Everybody describes her as a careful and responsible young lady, she was the last person to make a mistake."

The court was told Beard could not recall anything that took place after 2am on the day and had no memory of the journey or the collision.

She was put into an induced coma for two weeks after suffering neck and pelvis fractures as well as serious brain injuries.

"Her family didn't know if she was going to live, it was touch and go. Five attempts were made to bring her out of the coma and the sixth attempt was successful," said Mr Bell.

"Right from the outset she accepted full responsibility and demonstrated remorse. She is clearly wracked by guilt and has to live with it for the rest of her life. She thinks about Georgia every single day."

The solicitor said that Beard was attending a brain injuries service once a fortnight.

A probation report stated she had "accepted good responsibility and culpability for the offence."

South Cheshire Magistrates told Beard that she would be curfewed from 7pm to 7am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for six months and as well as the driving ban, she would need to do an extended retest before driving again.

She was also told to pay £85 court costs and a victim surcharge of £95.