THE death of a grandmother has left a "giant hole" in the family after she died in a car crash, an inquest has heard.

Colin Michael Thompson was the driver of the car, a blue Vauxhall Insignia, that hit a tree after it left the A40 between Ross-on-Wye and Monmouth.

His wife, Kathleen Mary Helen Thompson, 70, was a passenger in the car and died at the scene on March 30.

An inquest at Hereford Coroners Court heard how Mr Thompson had no recollection of the accident, which happened at around 5.30pm.

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His first memory after the crash was getting out of the car and trying to open the passenger door, but being unable to do so.

Paramedics from West Midlands Ambulance Service, a Mercia Accident Rescue Service doctor and the Welsh Air Ambulance were called to the scene at Whitchurch, but Mrs Thompson did not respond to treatment.

A vehicle inspector from West Mercia Police examined the car after the accident, but could not find any issues that may have led to the accident.

"After a thorough examination of the vehicle, there was no evidence of mechanical or structural failure which would have adversely affected control," Michael Saunders said.

PC Howard Latham investigated the crash but couldn't give a reason for the cause of the crash.

He said possible causes for Mr Thompson, of Edge Hill, Llanfrechfa, near Cwmbran, driving off the road could be a "medical episode, falling asleep, being distracted or inattentive to the driving task."

PC Latham suggested it is likely the car would have been travelling at about 70mph, according to the reading on the car's speedometer and eyewitness reports.

He said: "If Mr Thompson had been travelling at 74mph, it would have taken two seconds from the rumble strips of the edge of the carriageway on the A40 to the impact with the tree."

The couple's son, Philip, called his mother a "role model" and said her valuable life experience would be missed by himself and his brother.

Assistant coroner for Herefordshire Roland Wooderson concluded Mrs Thompson died from multiple injuries and trauma sustained as a consequence of the "quite dramatic" road traffic collision.