Ribble Valley pensioner died in head-on crash - inquest

11:05am Friday 18th July 2008

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A 77-year-old Ribble Valley woman died instantly when her car was hit head-on by another vehicle as she drove home, an inquest heard.

The hearing was told that Elizabeth Jephson suffered a fractured neck as well as other injuries in the collision in Accrington Road, Whalley on January 2.

After colliding with Mrs Jephson’s Rover the Mercedes driven by Richard Cook went on to hit a Volvo that was following, the inquest heard.

And another motorist, who was driving his pregnant wife back from a hospital check up told how he had swerved into a lay by to avoid being hit by the car which was travelling on the wrong side of the road.

Martin Wrigley told the inquest he had taken his pregnant wife to Royal Blackburn Hospital for a check-up and was heading to Clitheroe to have tea at his mother’s.

After going through the lights at Spring Wood picnic site he saw a set of car headlights pull out of the oncoming traffic and head straight for them.

“I realised it wasn’t going to pull back in,” said Mr Wrigley. “Fortunately there was a lay-by on my left and I was able to pull in there to avoid the oncoming car. As I looked in the mirror I saw there had been a collision.”

Ian McTurk told the inquest he was travelling to his home in Whalley Road from his office in Skipton and was travelling behind the Mercedes driven by Mr Cook.

“The car in front started to drift into the opposite carriageway for no apparent reason,” said Mr McTurk. “I could see a disaster happening. It was all rather surreal. He wasn’t indicating and there was nothing to give a clue as to what he was intending. There was no apparent slowing down or speeding up.”

Mr Cook, of Read Hall Farm, Read pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention when he appeared at Blackburn magistrates on March 27. He was banned from driving for three months, fined £500 with £75 costs and ordered to take a re-test before driving again.

At the court hearing he blamed a momentary lapse of concentration.

The medical cause of death was given as neck, chest and leg injuries and coroner Michael Singleton recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Mrs Jephson was born and bred in Burnley but had lived in Barrow near Clitheroe for the past eight years.

Her friends and neighbours from Green Park Court off Whiteacre Lane paid tribute to “a very kind, gentle woman”. Mrs Jephson was a well-known figure at Whalley Parish Church.

She left behind a step-daughter and two stepsons, plus a number of siblings including Desmond Brierley, from Locker Avenue, Burnley who described his sister as “the most kind and friendly person well loved by everyone” .