A CORONER has ruled the death of a Dursley mother-of-four, just days before Christmas, was accidental.

Jacqueline Dowding, 43, of School Road, had been driving to her work in Chippenham on December 13 last year, with her terrier Lola, when her Honda Civic was in collision with a Landrover Defender at 9.15am on the A4135 at Beverston.

She was flown to Frenchay Hospital but died of multiple injuries at 12.22pm.

At her inquest last Thursday, Assistant Gloucestershire Coroner David Dooley heard more than a dozen witness statements read out from other motorists who had tried to help, and police officers who attended, each making reference to the weather being wet and icy with some sleet settling on the road.

PC Darren Williams, collision investigation officer for Gloucestershire Constabulary, told the inquest skid marks found on the grass verge and on the road suggested the Honda Civic had left the road while negotiating a right hand bend.

He said as the tyres regained traction, the car was propelled to the other side of the carriageway.

He said: "This is a vehicle that drifted off the carriageway and it drifted back onto it."

He said it was not known why Mrs Dowding, who suffered from asthma and had been diagnosed with bronchitis, would have left the road but said it could have been the weather or a distraction from in the car.

A statement was also read on behalf of the driver of the Landrover Defender, Robert Von Hawrylak, 53, of Chippenham.

Mr Hawrylak said he could remember seeing a silver vehicle coming in the opposite direction.

He said: "The vehicle appeared to be going quite fast but I couldn’t define quite fast."

He added: "The vehicle came diagonally across the road."

When the two cars collided, the Honda Civic was spun but the Landrover hit a culvert and somersaulted, landing on its roof.

Mr Hawrylak was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the accident and suffered a triple fractured jaw, injury to his tongue, a stable fracture to his lower back, bruising and a head injury. He has also suffered from post-traumatic stress, depression and short-term memory loss since the accident.

In another statement by Mr Hawrylak he admitted making a telephone call to his wife at 9am on the morning of the crash, but had pulled over in a lay-by to do so.

Police investigations confirmed Mr Hawrylak was not on his mobile phone at the time of the crash.

Mr Dooley recorded a verdict of accidental death and added no one could ever be certain of the reasons why Mrs Dowding left the carriageway.

Mrs Dowding left three sons, Rhys, Lewis and Angus. Her daughter, 19-year-old, Jasmin Pulley, died three years ago after suffering a severe ashma attack.

The family declined to comment on the ruling of the inquest.