A FIERCELY independent 85-year-old woman died after she collided with a car while crossing a busy main road to get to a care home for dinner.

At an inquest in Rawtenstall, witnesses told how Mary Smith, who had hearing problems and strong glasses, would put up her walking stick to stop traffic on Bacup Road, Waterfoot, and then proceed to walk across the road.

Each night she would visit Stansfield House Care Home in Bacup Road for dinner.

Proprietor Valerie Robinson said: "Mary was so very independent. One of my ladies would put a light on for Mary when she crossed the road.

"Many a time we would take her over the road. It has been said on more than one occasion that we would come for her and she should not be crossing the road on her own, but she wanted to do it herself."

Mrs Smith, of Bacup Road, Waterfoot, was struck by a Hyundai Accent driven by Neil Hanlon of Union Terrace, Rawtenstall, on December 27, at 4.45pm.

After the inquest Mr Hanlon and his wife Debbie were in tears as they were comforted by Mrs Smith's relatives who said they did not blame them for the accident.

Next-door neighbour of Mrs Smith, Ann Young, was in her car turning into a side road off Bacup Road at the time of the accident.

She told acting East Lancashire coroner Richard Taylor she saw Mrs Smith in the middle of the road and she had nearly crossed to the other side when she was struck by the car.

Both Mr and Mrs Hanlon said they did not see Mrs Smith until she collided with the front of their car.

Dr Zuhair Twaij gave the cause of death as a head injury.

Police accident investigator PC Stephen Wilson said the car was in very good mechanical condition.

He said: "The damage to the vehicle was not that excessive. Had it been driven in excess of the speed limit, I would have expected more damage and the pedestrian to have gone over the roof of the vehicle. There was no evidence of that."

Mr Taylor recorded a verdict of accidental death.