A series of tragic events led to the deaths of three women from the same family on their way to a Justin Timberlake concert.

Sisters Sonal, 24, and Krupa Mulji, 22, and their cousin Kiran Viadya, 21, were mown down on the fast lane of the M25, an inquest heard.

The women, all from Crawley, were travelling to the concert on May 17 last year when they were hit by another vehicle near Leatherhead.

Woking Coroner's Court was told yesterday the accident was the result of a series of mishaps.

Witnesses said heavy rain coincided with the fourth lane of the M25 having a blocked drain.

The surface water forced the driver of the car, Sonal, 24, to lose control but she tried to avoid hitting a car in front which had done the same.

The car hit the central concrete barrier and came to a stop as it was fitted with a safety device to cut the fuel supply after an impact.

Sonal tried in vain to restart it before three of the girls got out.

The three left the Peugeot 206, despite the poor visibility, because they thought it would be safer than staying in the vehicle.

Kirin's 25-year-old sister, Bhavna, stayed in the car to call for help on her mobile phone.

But a white Mercedes van driven by Andrew Birtwhistle ploughed into the women at about 50mph as they stood next to their car, sending them "flying through the air".

The van then veered across the carriageway and smashed into an MG parked on the hard shoulder, sending the woman driver running for cover.

PC Maurice Galliano, of Surrey Police, a motorway CCTV camera operator, told the inquest he spotted the girls and the car after reports of an accident and saw the van approaching at speed.

He said: "It seemed to hit the car. Then I saw something flying through the air but I couldn't be sure whether it was debris or people."

In a police interview read to the hearing, van driver Mr Birtwhistle said he was following a Pajero 4x4 which suddenly swerved to avoid the stranded Peugeot.

He said: "I saw the girls at the front of the car. I had to make a quick decision.

"I tried to swing into the central barrier to crash my own vehicle and stop it hitting the car and the girls.

"I put the brakes on but the van planed and I had no control.

"The next thing I remember I hit the MG and came to a standstill. I think I hit two of the girls."

The four university graduates were driving to London to meet Sonal and Krupa's sister Ushma, 20, for a party to celebrate Krupa's 23rd birthday.

In May, Bhavna told of the moment her sister and cousins were killed.

She said: "I got back into the car because I was calling 999 and it was too noisy on the carriageway. The others stayed because they were frightened another car wouldn't see us in the bad weather conditions.

"The five of us were particularly close. Sonal was almost the same age as me and we were living together.

"We spent lots of time together going out, talking on the phone and we even went on holiday together.

"All three of them were very kind. They had big hearts, never had a bad word to say about anyone, always made the most of everything and were always laughing and joking around."

Thousands of mourners gathered in Crawley for the three women's funeral.

Pop star Justin Timberlake sent flowers and people came from the United States and Africa for the Hindu service.

Coronor Michael Burgess, who recorded verdicts of accidental death on the three girls, said: "The Peugeot was stranded with three of the occupants outside.

"There was no way they could get to safety and believed that being outside the vehicle they stood a better chance of surviving than in their immobilised vehicle.

"We have examined the circumstances as closely and as detailed as we can and it is my conclusion that the three deaths were an accident."

The van driver has been charged with driving with undue care and attention and is due to appear at Guildford Magistrates Court on January 19.