A PENSIONER from the Wirral lost his life after his wife who was driving became confused at a diversion and their vehicle ended up the wrong way on a major road.

An inquest was told Vincent Thomas John Norbury, aged 83, died near junction 35 of the dual carriageway at Dobshill, near Buckley, Flinthsire.

Mr Norbury and his wife Rosemary, 77, were heading home in their Vauxhall Corsa vehicle after a break at their holiday retreat at Harlech on the evening of July 18, 2017.

Their vehicle collided with an MG on the westbound carriageway on the A55 near junction 35 and Mr Norbury died of multiple major traumas.

John Gittins, coroner for North Wales East and Central, opened the Ruthin inquest with statements from North Wales Police Roads Policing Unit and Traffic Control.

The hearing was told the couple from Summer Trees Close, Greasby, Wirral, had been married for 57 years and were "completely devoted and spent all their time together".

They were driving back along the A55, a journey they had made many times over 37 years, but Mrs Norbury became "disorientated" and "flustered" when they came across a full road closure in Queensferry with diversions in place.

Mrs Norbury had driven up the slip road to the A55 westbound carriageway from an easterly direction and ended up on the wrong side of the carriageway.

She realised her mistake and tried to turn back down the slip road, manoeuvring the car to a horizontal position across the carriageway.

A driver travelling along the westbound carriageway did not see the headlights and although he attempted to brake, his MG collided with the elderly couple's stationary vehicle.

The full impact was to the centre of the car on the passenger side where Mr Norbury was sitting.

There was nothing the driver of the MG could do, the inquest heard. Officers said the short distance between the Norburys' car and from where he saw the stationary vehicle meant he would have had to brake 40 metres at 60mph in just over a second.

Mr Gittins concluded: "Mr Norbury died as a result of a road traffic collision in Dobshill.

"Although there is sufficient evidence to bring prosecutions, no further actions will be taken against Mrs Norbury as she is not fit to give evidence."

He added that Mrs Norbury suffered injuries to her spleen and wrist, as well as fluid around the heart and a bleed on the brain, resulting in memory loss.

"She becomes extremely distressed when she thinks back to the accident and she has already surrendered her licence, saying she never wants to drive ever again.

"She is not fit to be questioned at this stage."