A BABY girl born by emergency caesarian after a fatal road crash near Malvern died minutes before her mother at hospital, an inquest was told.

Iraqi-born Mayada Taha Mohammed Houghton was eight months pregnant when she was involved in the accident on the A449 last week.

The 36-year-old, from Worcester, was airlifted to Birmingham's Selly Oak Hospital where her daughter, Nirvana, was delivered, but the child died 20 minutes later and her mother shortly afterwards.

Dr Joanne Moysey, clinical fellow in anesthesia, gave cause of death as birth asphyxia due to a large skull fracture.

Worcestershire Coroner Victor Round told yesterday's inquests openings at Stourbridge County Court, a post mortem revealed Mrs Taha Mohammed Houghton had died as a result of multiple injuries and fractures.

She was described as a training manager and was married to Jonathan, a sales rep, and they lived in Meadowbank Drive, St John's, Worcester.

The tragedy unfolded on Tuesday, March 6, when Mrs Taha Mohammed Houghton's Peugeot 206 was in collision with a green Subaru Impreza at Pins Green, Newland.

Firefighters took nearly an hour to cut the injured mum-to-be free and at first it was thought she was all right, but her condition later deteriorated.

The driver of the Subaru and his male passenger, who had been travelling towards Malvern, were taken to Ronkswood Hospital with minor chest injuries.

The accident happened near the Safeway superstore, and further along the same stretch of road where three teenagers and a pensioner were killed in an accident in 1998.

Police closed the Worcester-bound carriageway for two-and-a-half hours while emergency crews cleared the scene last week.

Mr Round adjourned both inquests.