▁Harris ▁was ▁killed , ▁and ▁his ▁trav elling ▁companion , ▁an ▁eigh teen - year - old ▁woman ▁named ▁Soph ia ▁Sto cks ▁" from ▁the ▁Hay market ", ▁was ▁badly ▁injured . ▁ ▁From ▁V aux hall , ▁the ▁wind ▁had ▁carried ▁the ▁bal lo on ▁towards ▁Cro yd on , ▁where ▁it ▁crash ed ▁into ▁an ▁o ak ▁tree ▁at ▁Bed d ington ▁Park ▁near ▁Car shal ton . ▁The ▁accident ▁was ▁later ▁bl amed ▁on ▁Harris ' s ▁own ▁val ve . ▁ ▁The ▁crash ▁was ▁observed ▁by ▁a ▁game keeper , ▁who ▁gave ▁evidence ▁at ▁the ▁in quest : ▁ ▁Harris ' s ▁companion , ▁Miss ▁Soph ia ▁Sto cks , ▁was ▁described ▁by ▁journal ists ▁present ▁as ▁an ▁int rep id ▁girl ▁and ▁was ▁reported ▁to ▁have ▁got ▁into ▁the ▁bal lo on ' s ▁g ond ola ▁" with ▁but ▁slight ▁appearance ▁of ▁fear ". ▁ ▁The ▁coron er ' s ▁j ury ▁brought ▁in ▁the ▁finding ▁that ▁" de ath ▁might ▁have ▁been ▁occasion ed ▁by ▁the ▁broken ▁rib s , ▁& c ." ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁less ▁pla us ible ▁theory ▁of ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁the ▁crash , ▁the ▁release ▁val ve ▁got ▁stuck ▁in ▁the ▁open ▁position , ▁thus ▁re le asing ▁the ▁hydro gen . ▁In ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁bal lo on ▁falling , ▁Harris ▁threw ▁out ▁all ▁the ▁ball ast ▁and ▁even ▁the ▁woman ' s ▁clothes . ▁In ▁the ▁end , ▁he ▁jump ed ▁to ▁his ▁death ,