A pensioner from Bickley died after her car collided with a lorry, an inquest has been told.

Vera Maud Austwick was travelling in a Hyundai from Malpas along the B5395 and pulled out at Grindley Brook onto the A41, on which Colin Mackintosh was driving a DAF flatbed lorry along towards Chester.

The vehicles collided and Mrs Austwick, 86, was airlifted to the Royal Stoke University Hospital but died the following day, September 20, of her injuries.

PC Helen O’Connor told the inquest at Shirehall in Shrewsbury yesterday, that she had spoken to Mr Mackintosh at the scene.

She said: “Mr Mackintosh said as he was coming into Grindley Brook – a road he knew very well – he spotted a small silver vehicle at the mouth of the junction. He assumed it was going to give way as he was on the road road but unfortunately it started to come across.

“There was nothing he could do. He took evasive action and slammed the breaks on but he couldn’t avoid the collision.”

The hearing was also told of the collision investigation by PC Ross Ashmore, of West Mercia Police, who said Mr Mackintosh’s lorry was travelling within the speed limit but his speed “declined rapidly” which is consistent with emergency braking and that he also steered to the right to take evasive action.

John Ellery, coroner for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, said: “It does appear that Mrs Austick for whatever reason has pulled out in front of Mr Mackintosh’s vehicle and sustained fatal injuries.

He concluded her death was from a road traffic collision.