A HIGH-FLYING Hampshire schoolboy has died after being flung from a car in a horrific country road smash.

Robert Twigg, 17, was travelling with two friends when their car collided side-on with another.

Robert, who was a passenger, was thrown through one of the car windows and into the road, sustaining massive head injuries.

He spent two days fighting for his life in Southampton General Hospital's neurological unit but died yesterday.

Robert, from Horseshoe Drive in Romsey, was deputy head boy at Southampton's King Edward VI College and was on course for a glittering academic career. He had applied to go to Oxford or Cambridge University.

Yesterday headteacher Julian Thould said: "Robert was an outstanding pupil whose leadership qualities were reflected in his position as one of two deputy head pupils of the school.

"He contributed significantly to the life of King Edward's in particular through drama and charity activities."

Friends spoke of him as a being a "lovely boy". A neighbour said: "He was clever and a very good boy. Everyone got on well with him. It is a tragic loss."

The accident happened at 7.15pm on Friday on the A30 at Chattershill near Stockbridge.

Robert was sitting in the back seat of the blue Renault Clio with a 17-year-old friend in the passenger seat and an 18-year-old driving. Both other boys are from the Stockbridge area.

The car was travelling towards the A30 from Broughton as a black Rover 214, driven by a 19-year-old man, travelled eastbound along the A30 to Stockbridge. The cars collided at the junction.

Pc Richard Harrison, of Whitchurch traffic unit, said Robert is thought not to have been wearing a seatbelt and was thrown out of the car by the force of the impact.

Both other boys in the M-registration Clio escaped with only minor injuries, although all three were rushed by ambulance to Winchester's Royal County Hampshire Hospital. The Rover driver escaped unharmed.

Robert was later taken to Southampton General when paramedics realised the extent of his injuries.

Pc Harrison said: "The cars collided in the middle of the crossroads. As soon as we arrived we could see how serious the crash was. As well as the injuries there was extensive damage to both cars."

Yesterday nobody was at the detached home where Robert lived with his mother Pauline. Robert's father is thought to have died four years ago and he was their only child.

The teenager was in his final year at King Edward VI College, a 935-pupil independent school in Kellet Road, Southampton, which was also the school of missing Hampshire teenager Daniel Nolan.

Mr Thould added: "Our thoughts and prayers are both with his family and circle of friends at this time of great loss."

Anyone who witnessed the accident is urged to call Pc Dave Dyer at Whitchurch traffic unit on 0845 045 45 45.