An 18-year-old woman described by loved ones as a “beautiful soul” has tragically died after being struck by a stolen small articulated loading vehicle (digger) in a seaside park in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.

Tallulah Bradford suffered critical injuries in the incident at Chalkwell Park in the early hours of Saturday, June 13, 2026. Emergency services were called around 12:30am after reports of a group of people taking unauthorised control of the vehicle and driving it around the area. Tallulah was rushed to hospital but passed away six days later on June 19.

Her family released a photo of Tallulah for the first time and paid emotional tribute, calling her a “beautiful soul” full of love, laughter, and kindness. Friends echoed these sentiments, remembering her as the light of her mother Jayde’s life and “Jayde’s princess.”

An 18-year-old man from Westcliff and a 17-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. Both remain on bail until September.

Essex Police are continuing to investigate and have appealed for witnesses, CCTV, or dashcam footage related to incident 39 of June 13. A GoFundMe has been set up to support Tallulah’s mother Jayde and brother Lennon, raising over £18,000 so far.

This tragedy has deeply affected the local community. Notably, Chalkwell Park was also the site of another heartbreaking incident last year when a seven-year-old girl died after a tree collapsed.

Rest in peace, Tallulah. Tributes continue to pour in online for the young woman taken far too soon.