A LOW winter sun probably contributed to a fatal road accident in which a 74-year-old driver was killed turning on to a dual carriageway, an inquest heard.

Nina Jones died in January when her Daewoo Lanos was hit side on by a Toyota MR2 as she pulled across the northbound carriageway of the A449 to the central area.

She had been waiting to turn right at the Old Worcester Road junction near Hartlebury and would have been looking into the bright sun. The former nurse and teacher of Crossway Green died at the scene just before noon on January 23.

Worcestershire deputy coroner Tim Sherwood recorded a verdict of accidental death.

He said: "It was a beautiful sunny morning and the sun was low in the sky. The evidence from a number of witnesses was that it would have made it quite hazardous when you're looking to the right to judge whether it was safe to emerge from the junction."

Mr Sherwood added: "I'm quite sure she didn't think there was a danger of a collision and it may have been the sun meant she didn't notice the car or maybe she misjudged the speed."

PC Graham Powell of Kidderminster Police said he estimated the Toyota had been travelling at 78mph - 8mph above the speed limit - in the fast lane before driver Stuart Constant slammed on the brakes.

But he stressed: "I do not think this would have had any effect on the outcome of the collision."

The officer said Mr Constant seemed to have reacted promptly and despite braking hard - leaving 27-metre-long skid marks - the car only slowed to 56mph before the impact.

In a statement read out at the inquest Mr Constant, who was travelling with his fiance Sheona McKie, said he spotted Mrs Jones' car pull up at the junction just 60 or 70 yards ahead.

Mr Constant said: "She pulled out from the junction which seemed quite quick but stopped very suddenly in front of our path."

He added: "I stamped on my brakes and tried to steer to the left."

Mr Constant had asked himself "so many times" if there was anything he could have done to prevent the smash but short of not being on the road at that time he said there was not.

None of the witnesses recalled seeing the Daewoo's indicators flashing. A police check found both vehicles to have no significant mechanical or structural faults.