A TRAGIC hit-and-run victim who had dreams of finishing college and entering the film industry had just completed her first student movie shortly before her untimely death.

Lily Hastings-Bass, a 20-year-old Trinity College student from England, died after being hit by a car on the Rathgar Road in Dublin in 2006.

Last week Eric Doyle (44), a mechanic from White­church Avenue in Ballyboden who had amassed 39 road traffic convictions, was jailed for seven years for dangerous driving causing death.

Hastings-Bass's family and friends knew her as an enthusiastic young woman who, while studying at her father's former college in Dublin, had dreamed of breaking into the movie business.

A friend of Hastings-Bass's, who had given her her first opportunity to work on a film while studying, described how the popular young lady had been keen to break into the industry.

He also told the Sunday Tribune the film's eventual 'wrap' party – traditionally thrown to celebrate the completion of filming – ended up as more of a memorial to their late friend.

"She passed away just after the wrapping of the film. About a week after [the film], she was hit by the car and she died about two weeks after that," said David Symington, who produced Patrick The Movie, a student comedy about Ireland's patron saint.

"I met her just before the movie and she had a passion for film," he recalled.

"She was really bubbly, very happy, outgoing and an enthusiastic member of the crew. She was very keen and completely devoted to the movie. She was a great member of the team."

Hastings-Bass wasted no time in putting her interest in film into practice and immediately asked about opportunities to work on the project. She became an assistant director, filming on location in Howth and Bray.

"She actually approached me to be involved in the movie," said Symington.

"She was a freshman and she was going to lots of different openings for societies. She knew that I was involved and she had done a brief course in film, not in Trinity but she had some sort of training.

"Everyone really liked her and it was really sad when it happened. To be honest [the wrap party] was a tribute to her as opposed to a party. She was an active member of the team and we all remember her. She was a great person to be around, very social and very nice. She is very much missed."

Hastings-Bass's father John, a successful insurance agent in England, had described his daughter as a lovely, vibrant girl with ambitions to work in the film industry. She had only been in Ireland for around two months when the incident occurred. Doyle hit her in his car as she was returning home to her apartment with friends in November 2006.

Doyle – who had been disqualified from driving eight weeks before the incident – fled the scene and made attempts to blame her death on a member of the Travelling community.

The young English and history student died from severe multiple traumas, fractures and brain injuries after 11 days on life support.