Third fatal crash on same A361 bend near Banbury, inquest hears

Joanne Edmunds, 47, lost control of her red Ford Focus on the A361 near Chacombe, north of Banbury, on August 9 and crashed into a green Toyota Landcruiser coming from the opposite direction. Both cars ended up in the ditch.

Oxford Coroner’s Court heard that Ms Edmunds, from Daventry, managed to extricate herself from the wreckage. However, concerned paramedics sped her to A&E over fears that the driver, who appeared very confused, had picked up a brain injury.

She was initially taken to the Horton General Hospital after doctors at the John Radcliffe’s more specialist unit said the patient ‘didn’t meet their major trauma triage tool’ and advised the ambulance crew they should go to the Banbury A&E.

Her condition deteriorated, she was moved to the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, on August 10, and died two days later.

The inquest heard that Ms Edmunds’ death was the third since November 2018 on the same bend of the A361. That month, a man lost his life when the Peugeot in which he and three others were travelling collided with a lorry.

Since the crash that claimed Ms Edmunds’ life last summer, better signage warning of the bend had been put up and there were plans to resurface the road ‘next financial year’, the coroner was told.

Senior coroner Darren Salter said: “What I am going to do is write to the local authority, refer to this collision, refer to the previous collisions that have occurred at the location, including three fatalities, and I’ll obtain confirmation that improved signage has been undertaken. It appears from the evidence that it has been.

“There is the suggestion the road is going to be resurfaced again so I will ask about that, just for a bit of assurance that everything that can be done within reason at the location has been and hopefully will reduce the prospect of any future accidents occurring.”

Pictures taken at the scene of the crash on the A361 Pictures: NORTHANTS POLICE/TWITTER

The cause of the crash on August 9 last year remained unclear. The roads were wet but it was not raining at the time.

The driver of the green Toyota Landcruiser, Peter Bisztroni, said he was heading towards Banbury at around 8.45pm when he saw Ms Edmunds’ red Ford Focus approaching the bend from the opposite direction.

He said: “I thought they looked like they were going quite fast. It lost control and started to slide towards me.” Mr Bisztroni added: “There was nothing I could do to avoid the collision.”

A family friend, who dialled into the inquest by phone, said she was ‘surprised’ by the suggestion of excessive speed. “She was a very careful, cautious person and [had] been driving for a very long time,” Stephanie Smith told the coroner.

The coroner recorded a conclusion of road traffic collision.

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