A 24-year-old student nurse died after suffering serious injuries in a car crash on New Year's Day, an inquest has found. Paige Curtis, of St Mellon's Road, Cardiff, was driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs when she crashed her car into a garden wall in Newport.
Crash details
On the morning of January 1, Ms Curtis was driving her Audi A1 car in an easterly direction along Cefn Road in the Rogerstone area. Shortly before 9.30am, Ms Curtis failed to negotiate the roundabout connecting Cefn Road with Great Oaks Park and lost control of the car. She collided with the garden wall of a house opposite and sustained severe traumatic brain injuries.
Hospital treatment and inquest findings
Paige was taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff but despite efforts from hospital staff, Paige's injuries were not survivable and she died the following day.
Senior Coroner for Gwent, Caroline Saunders, said: "The exact reason for Paige losing control of the car is unclear, however a forensic collision investigation has determined that Paige did not slow down to negotiate the roundabout and did not make any attempts to brake."
"Furthermore, toxicological evidence confirms that she had an excess quantity of alcohol, benzoylecgonine and cocaine in her blood at the time. I find these factors have, on balance, contributed to the collision."
Ms Saunders recorded the primary cause of death as traumatic brain injury.
