A WOMAN driver died in a crash with another car after trying to perform a u-turn on a main road, an inquest heard.

Caroline Matome, 56, of Main Avenue, Cowlersley, had been travelling south in her Ford Mondeo when the crash happened on the A1 near Blyth, Nottinghamshire, on September 18.

Her car was in collision at around 9.50pm with a Jaguar X Type which was also travelling southbound.

A postmortem revealed Mrs Matome died of multiple injuries.

She had been travelling home to Huddersfield after visiting her daughter in Doncaster.

Howard Stuchfield who was driving the Jaguar, said he was unaware of the Mondeo until the crash occurred.

He said: “Suddenly, it was just like a shutter dropped out of the sky – like I had hit a wall.

“I had no idea what it was I had impacted on.”

Mr Stuchfield’s car was severely damaged by the crash, but he only suffered minor injuries.

A Mercedes that had been travelling behind Mr Stuchfield collided with his Jaguar. The driver escaped unhurt.

Forensic collision investigator, PC Dave Gilbert, said the damage on the Mondeo was consistent with it having been in the middle of a u-turn manoeuvre.

He said there were gaps at intervals along the middle of the A1’s crash barrier.

“From the evidence it is my conclusion that the Mondeo was performing a u-turn in the carriageway,” he said.

Assistant deputy coroner for Nottinghamshire, Stephanie Haskey, said: “Nobody actually knows exactly what happened.

“It does seem Mrs Matome probably realised she was going the wrong way and has seen an opportunity to make a turn through the gap and has probably done so.

“Unfortunately it seemed as if there was some sort of tragic error in the circumstances.”

She recorded a verdict of accidental death.