A CAR smash which killed a Burnley pensioner and left her husband lucky to be alive will remain a mystery.

A Burnley inquest heard how medical and accident experts have been unable to explain how Arthur and Anne Wilkinson's Nissan Micra, with Mr Wilkinson at the wheel, suddenly shot to its right at a junction, hitting a wall and ending up "on its nose".

Mrs Wilkinson, who probably was not wearing her seat belt, was found to be dead on arrival at Burnley General Hospital after the crash, on March 1.

Her husband, now 76, who faces further hospital tests, can remember nothing about what happened. The police are not bringing any proceedings against him.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, East Lancs coroner David Smith said there has been nothing wrong with Mr Wilkinson's car. He had been driving perfectly normally, although slowly, down Colne Road, Burnley, towards its junction with Church Street.

For some reason he started to accelerate as he took the left hand lane towards the traffic lights filtering green to Burnley town centre.

When Mr Wilkinson drove into Church Street, for some unaccountable reason the car shot to its right.

Pathologist Dr Zuhair Twaij said Mrs Wilkinson, 74, of Fairfield Drive, Burnley, died of multiple injuries. Her breastbone and most of her ribs were fractured and some of them had damaged her lungs and heart.

Motorist Albert Robinson, who was two cars behind Mr Wilkinson, said the car went through the traffic lights and suddenly veered over to the right.

It hit a wall, stood up on its nose, swung to the right hand side and dropped down.

Mr Robinson said he did not see anything at all that might have distracted the driver.

Mr Wilkinson, who vowed never to drive again, said he had been advised to get an automatic car after suffering a slight stroke in 1996.

He was as "fit as a fiddle" and felt normal on the day of the accident. He told the Coroner: "I don't remember a thing about it. I had just said to my wife what a lovely morning it was and the next thing I remember is coming round in hospital."

Medical staff thought it was post traumatic amnesia, the inquest heard.

Mr Wilkinson was admitted to hospital but it was very lucky he was not more seriously injured. The consultant added he could find nothing to account for what had happened.

Accident investigator PC Eric Taylor said as far as he could see, Mrs Wilkinson's seat belt had not been worn.

There was nothing wrong with the Wilkinsons' vehicle and nothing wrong with the road.

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