Medics unable to explain why woman veered across road before fatal car crash

Susan Mudford, aged 75, of Hadnall, had suffered severe injuries in the crash on the A49 at Upper Battlefield, in Shrewsbury, on the afternoon of Friday, January 14.

An inquest on Thursday was told that Mrs Mudford was taken to the Royal Stoke University Hospital where she sadly died on February 9.

The driver of a northbound black Nissan Qashqai that Mrs Mudford collided with was named as Donna Bryant. She was also taken to hospital where she was treated for injuries not believed to be serious.

Senior Shropshire Coroner John Ellery, sitting at Shirehall, said: "There is no evidence as to why Mrs Mudford crossed the carriageway.

"She had been driving normally before this collision. I can't say as a fact but the most likely reason is that she had an unknown medical event."

The impact of the collision was recorded on a nearby property's CCTV system, Mr Ellery said. He did not show that video recording in court but added that there was "no sign of a mechanical defect, or excessive speed that could explain".

Mr Ellery concluded that Mrs Mudford's death was due to a road traffic collision.

The coroner said that Mrs Mudford's husband had agreed that the inquest should proceed in his absence. There were no family members in court.

At the time of the crash it was reported that Mrs Mudford had been helped to escape from her blazing car by a member of the public. She had been understood at the time to have suffered a medical episode at the wheel.

West Mercia Police said: "It is believed that the driver of the Mini suffered a medical episode at the wheel, crossed the carriageway and colliding head-on with the Nissan.

"The Nissan has then spun 180 degrees and come to a rest in the hedgerow. The Mini has then caught fire and members of the public helped the driver to safety."

A spokesman from West Midlands Ambulance Service said that they had sent two ambulances, a paramedic officer and the Midlands Air Ambulance Critical Care Car with a trauma doctor and critical care paramedic onboard.

"A second woman has been treated for injuries not believed to be serious and has also been conveyed to hospital for further treatment.”

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service scrambled two fire appliances from Shrewsbury with an operations officer.

Crews used breathing apparatus and a hose-reel jet to deal with the blaze where one vehicle was said to be 100 per cent involved in fire. Their incident stop message was sent at 3.40pm.