A CORONER is to recommend action on water flowing on to the A660 Leeds Road from Otley Chevin after a fatal car accident earlier this year.

An inquest in Leeds heard that Heather Judith Smith, 30, of Walton Chase, Thorp Arch, near Wetherby, was pronounced dead on arrival at Leeds General Infirmary after her Vauxhall Nova car travelling towards Otley collided with a Volkswagen Passat going in the opposite direction.

The accident occurred on March 11, around 7am, on a stretch of the A660 a short distance from Otley, close to Stubbings Farm, and evidence suggests that Mrs Smith lost control of her vehicle and it veered into the Leeds-bound opposite lane.

A police accident investigation of the scene noted the presence of ice on the road at the time despite the fact that grit had been spread, and this would have had a substantial effect on Mrs Smith's control of the car.

It was also concluded that neither vehicle involved in the collision had been defective or was travelling at excessive speed at the time.

Coroner David Hinchliff, recorded a verdict of accidental death on Mrs Smith and concluded: "The evidence I have heard is that this road runs below and parallel to the local landmark known as Otley Chevin. That morning was very cold and there was a heavy frost.

"The road had been gritted, but ice had formed and this came from an overfilled and blocked rain channel beyond a dry stone wall that runs parallel."

Mr Hinchliff said that he would be informing the local highways authority of the circumstances of the case, asking them to look into solving the problem of water accumulating on the road.

He added: "Otherwise, I feel this could be repeated this coming winter and in future winters."

Mrs Smith suffered multiple injuries and was certified dead on arrival at hospital, where the driver of the other vehicle, Nigel Colthorpe, was also taken after suffering minor injuries. Both had to be freed from their vehicles by emergency services.

Mr Colthorpe said at the inquest that the accident had happened so suddenly that he had no time to react.

He said: "It was so close I didn't try to brake or avoid. In driving down the road, I didn't experience anything to suggest that the road was icy, that was the reason I took that road because I expected the road to have been gritted."

PC Richard Lyon said that he arrived at the scene to find Mrs Smith's car in the Leeds-bound lane and he saw water on the other side of the road that was a combination of ice and slush.

He said: "The road had been gritted but it wasn't sufficient to stop this section from freezing up."

A witness statement gave evidence that vehicles crossing the patch of frozen water had been seen to 'wiggle' with a loss of control.

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