A Shropshire woman caused the death of another motorist and lost her own life when she crashed driving at a “ferocious” speed while well over the drink-driving limit, an inquest heard.

Care worker Leah Ford, who grew up in Coleham, Shrewsbury, is said to have lost control of her modified Ford Mondeo, ploughing into an oncoming car on the A153 at Dalderby, Lincolnshire, on July 10 this year.

The 22-year-old mother-of-one, who was born Leanne Thomas, died at the scene of the smash. The driver of the other vehicle, mother-of-two Julia Ann Cannon, 56, was cut from the wreckage but died after being airlifted to hospital.

Yesterday’s inquest heard Miss Ford was driving at a “ferocious” speed when she lost control on a bend, careered along a grass verge and slid across the road and into the path of Mrs Cannon’s Kia people-carrier.

Lincolnshire coroner Stuart Fisher recorded a verdict of accidental death on Miss Ford and a verdict of unlawful killing on Mrs Cannon, of Horncastle.

He said: “Miss Ford was not only driving an extremely powerful vehicle at a very high speed – she was also well over the drink-driving limit.

“I am 100 per cent certain there was little Mrs Cannon could have done to avoid this collision. There is clear evidence she was driving cautiously.”

Witness Leslie Gillies told the hearing in Horncastle, there was no sign of Miss Ford even applying the brakes before the smash.

He said: “The speed was ferocious. I would estimate that it was more than 90mph. There was nothing the other driver could have done.”

The inquest heard Miss Ford’s L-registered Mondeo was originally a standard 1,600cc model but had been souped-up with a 2.5-litre V6 engine. She had changed her name because of her love of the cars.

She was due to exhibit it at a car show only two days later. A reading taken after the smash showed she had a level of 125mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal drink-drive limit is 80mg.

Miss Ford’s partner Ron Kennedy, who has since adopted Ford as his middle name, told the hearing: “Leah was happy before she set off. I was working on my own car, getting ready for the show, and she had music on and was dancing around. I wasn’t aware she was drinking.

“Then she just got in her car and drove off. She just randomly went for drives. She was my soulmate. I miss her so much.”

By Russell Roberts