Inquest told of BMW in hedge

2:57pm Wednesday 13th August 2008

A WOMAN from Mortimer's Cross was killed when a 4x4 clipped a grass verge and veered into the path of her car, an inquest heard.

The Land Rover Freelander was in collision with the BMW driven by Barbara Todd on the A480 Norton Canon to Sarnesfield road in in Herefordshire in June last year.

Miss Todd, aged 52, from Mortimer's Cross suffered serious injuries and died at the scene.

Passing motorist Samuel Griffiths said, in evidence, that he saw the BMW in a hedge and the Land Rover on a kerb on the other side of the road. He said he talked to a barely-conscious Miss Todd, but got only "moans and groans" in response.

PC Alan Paton, an accident investigator for West Mercia Police, told the inquest that he found evidence of the Land Rover clipping a grass verge on the near side and sliding diagonally to cross into the opposite carriageway.

That evidence showed the Land Rover collided with the BMW coming in the opposite direction as it was steered back onto the correct side of the road.

Mrs Karen Short told the inquest she was the driver of the Land Rover but did not answer questions from coroner David Halpern regarding her driving in the build-up to the collision.

Mr Halpern recorded a verdict of accidental death on Miss Todd.

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