Pensioner died after being struck by car in Shrewsbury town centre, inquest told

Maria Dorothy Griffiths travelled from her North Wales home to stay in Shropshire's county town as a treat.

But the break ended in tragedy when she was knocked down close to the Theatre Severn.

She and her partner had been staying at the Buck's Head pub in Frankwell and were browsing shops when the accident happened.

Mrs Griffiths died of her injuries at Royal Stoke Hospital, the day after the accident on January 9.

The inquest heard evidence from Christine Roberts, of Steepside, Radbrook, who was driving the car that struck Mrs Griffiths.

She was returning from a visit to the theatre and was distracted moments before the accident, which happened as Mrs Griffiths and her partner Kenneth Harper were crossing a road.

Mrs Roberts told Shropshire coroner John Ellery she had seen a dark figure in the road waving his arms about. She then heard a thud and saw a hand sliding down her windscreen.

Mr Harper of Mold, Flintshire said that he and his 75-year-old partner, who was known as Dorothy, had a habit of walking behind each other.

He told the inquest at Shirehall that he had crossed New Street, close to Dave Mellor Cycles and was standing on the island refuge in the middle of the road when he heard a bang.

"When I crossed the road it was clear," said Mr Harper. "I crossed to the central island, then I heard a bang as if someone had been hit. I had only just got across the road. I did not see what Dorothy was doing."

Mrs Roberts said she was driving her silver Vauxhall Corsa in the direction of Copthorne Road when she saw a dark figure waving his arms about. She braked hard and then heard a noise to the left hand side of her car.

She said: "I did not see the second person before the collision. I was focussed on where I was going. I did not look to see if anyone was crossing the road. I was distracted by the man waving his hands."

Her husband Berwick Roberts added that as they approached the exit from Frankwell Island to Copthorne Road he suddenly saw a man in front of him "staggering around on the road".

He added: "Christine put on the brakes very sharply and we both got whiplash from that. Then I heard a bang to the side of the car and saw a hand in front of the licence holder on the windscreen. We stopped and when we got out of the car I saw that the wing mirror on the left hand side of the car was broken off and on the ground. I saw Mrs Griffiths lying on the road and people came to help."

Mr Ellery said Mrs Griffiths had suffered a base of the skull fracture and a haemorrhage, adding: "She died as a result of a road traffic collision."