 THE two teenagers who died after their car skidded off a country road and plunged into an icy canal had just started going out together. Gemma Biggin, 17, died trapped in the front seat when the car plunged into Warrington's Bridgewater Canal late on Sunday night. Yesterday, it was revealed her boyfriend, Stephen Abbott, 18, who was at the wheel of the car, had also died at Warrington General Hospital. The two-door Fiat Punto plunged nose first into the canal at Grappenhall and rolled over on to its roof. Both were trapped in the car for 30 minutes as rescuers fought in vain to free them. Gemma was a film studies student who hoped to break into television, and had just started going out with fellow student Stephen. They had met up with two friends from Priestley Sixth Form College in Warrington earlier in the evening and were returning home when the S-reg Punto skidded on an icy left-hand bend and plunged into the canal. Rear seat passengers Jake Edwards and Anthony Bond, both 17, smashed the rear window and swam to safety. But Gemma and Stephen, who lived just a mile from the scene in the picturesque village, were trapped. Her parents said in a statement: "Gemma attended St Wilfred's Primary School in Grappenhall before moving to Lymm High School where she gained nine good GCSEs. "She was a student of media and film studies at Priestley College and also worked part-time at Morrison's in Stockton Heath. "Gemma was lively, popular and vivacious and led a busy social life. "She was a loving daughter and sister who will be greatly missed." Close friend Anthony Woodcock, 17, said: "Steve had only just started going out with Gemma - it might even have been their first date. "It's unbelievable what has happened." Gemma's friend and second year classmate, Emma Eastwood, was one of several students who made a pilgrimage to the spot where the accident happened. She said: "She was a lovely girl and I can't believe this has happened." alanweston@dailypost.co.uk | 
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