An 88-year-old woman died after her car veered onto the wrong side of the A40 in Pembrokeshire and crashed head-on into another vehicle while she was driving home from a hospital, an inquest heard.
Sarah Evelyn May Hughes, from Goodwick, had taken her sister to Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest on the afternoon of April 11 last year. On the way back, travelling north on the A40 away from Haverfordwest, her Citroen C3 collided with an Audi A1.
Emergency services were called, but despite their efforts Mrs Hughes was pronounced dead at the scene.
Inquest findings
An inquest held at County Hall in Haverfordwest heard there was no evidence Mrs Hughes was feeling unwell in the run-up to the crash, and she was described as "an active and capable driver".
The incident happened at around 12.40pm when the Citroen "entered the opposing carriageway whilst negotiating a gradual left-hand bend" before crashing into the Audi. The collision occurred "within the Audi's lane of travel".
Road conditions on the day were described as "dry", visibility as "good", and a forensic investigation found no evidence of braking, evasive steering, or loss-of-control tyre marks before impact. No pre-existing mechanical defects that could have contributed to the collision were found.
Post-mortem and conclusion
A toxicology report noted Mrs Hughes had no significant alcohol, illicit drugs, or medications in her body, only "therapeutic levels of paracetamol". A post-mortem examination confirmed she died of multiple traumatic injuries, including "bilateral rib fractures, bilateral haemothoraces, trauma to the heart with pericardial injury, and a lacerated spleen".
The medical cause of death was recorded as 1A: multiple injuries and 1B: road traffic collision.
Concluding the inquest, Gareth Lewis, senior coroner for Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, said: "I find that Sarah Evelyn May Hughes died on April 11, 2025, on the A40 near Treffgarne, Pembrokeshire, as a result of multiple injuries sustained when the vehicle she was driving crossed into the opposite carriageway and collided head-on with an oncoming vehicle.
"The precise reason why her vehicle entered the opposing lane cannot be established on the evidence.
"However the collision investigation excluded mechanical failure, environmental causes, intoxication, and any identified medical emergency.
"The deceased therefore died as a consequence of an unintended road traffic collision."
Mr Lewis recorded a conclusion of road traffic collision in relation to Mrs Hughes's death.
