A POPULAR young musician who died when her car hit a tree may have swerved to avoid something in the road.

Justine Miskimmin, of Wyld’s Lane, Worcester, died from shock and haemorrhage due to multiple injuries after her blue Peugeot hit a tree on the A44 near Egdon, near Worcester, on October 30.

Recording a verdict of accidental death at an inquest into her death, deputy coroner Marguerite Elcock said Miss Miskimmin had “significantly steered to the near side” but she could not be certain why this had happened.

As previously reported in the Worcester News, the 22-year-old was travelling to Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, where she was an assistant manager at Tesco.

Police constable Alan Paton attended the scene at 7.11am. In a statement read out to the court, he said there is no form of street lighting, the national speed limit of 60mph applies and the road travels uphill.

Reading from the statement, Mrs Elcock said: “From the damage to the vehicle and the marks on the road surface, the Peugeot had been travelling towards Evesham during the hours of darkness and in damp conditions.

“It had been raining and the surface was slightly damp and greasy.”

The inquest at Worcestershire Coroner’s Court, Stourport, heard that on leaving the road, the car rotated anti-clockwise and the front of it collided with a wooden fence.

Mrs Elcock said: “The collision may have accentuated the rotation causing it to pivot and causing it to collide with a second tree. This would have been the more forceful of the two.”

PC Paton said there was an indication that Miss Miskimmin had made a “significant over-steering” as the car left the road and he could not preclude the fact that she may have steered to avoid something or to control the car.

Animals have been seen in the area but there was no evidence that this was a factor in making Miss Miskimmin lose control.

The inquest also heard that there were no mechanical or structural defects with the car, any defects with the road surface or evidence that Miss Miskimmin had been using her mobile phone and no traces of alcohol or drugs were found.

Following her death, her family paid tribute to “a lovely, affectionate girl” who was “dearly loved” by all her family and friends.

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