Former head 'flung from car' in fatal crash
2:37pm Wednesday 20th February 2008
A FORMER head teacher died after hitting her head on a rock during a car accident whilst on holiday in South Africa.
Vivienne Clark, 55, who was also visting family in the country, was thrown from the VW car after the driver lost control and it rolled over, an inquest was told.
Mrs Clark who served for 12 years as both deputy and head at Brindle Gregson Lane Primary School, Hoghton, was well known in the local community.
She was in charge at the Bournes Row school when it was burned down in an arson attack in May 2001.
Mrs Clark, who was in her 50s and from Penwortham, is credited for overseeing a phoenix from the flames success with standards and academic results continuing to rise despite the fire.
In 2004 she left the school to work as an education authority advisor for Lancashire County Council which until her death saw her go into struggling primary schools, mainly in the east of the county, to help boost effectiveness.
An inquest at Preston heard that her husband John tried to resuscitate her at the scene after she was flung from the car and banged her head on a rock.
She lost consciousness and died later that afternoon from multiple injuries.
The driver - Mrs Clark's brother-in-law - also died in the accident.
The inquest was told that moments before the crash, Mrs Clark had taken off her seat belt as they were due to stop for lunch.
Mr Clark, 64, said they had travelled from Aroabe to Keetmanshoop on March 31 last year.
He said there had been an earlier incident when the vehicle had become unstable and "alarm bells started ringing a bit."
They were approaching a township and were due to have lunch and seat belts were unclipped for the stop.
Mr Clark said that after the accident, his wife was on her back complaining she could not breath properly.
"She asked to be sat up then she said it's no good, I need to lie down," Mr Clark said.
He said he put a shirt under her head and she slipped into unconsciousness and he attempted CPR until an ambulance came.
"I do feel the speed of the vehicle was a contributing factor," Mr Clark told the hearing.
Coroners Officer PC Ken Maylor told the hearing, which recorded a verdict of accidental death, that no other vehicles were involved and the wall of a tyre had gone, although it could not be said if that happened before the accident or not.