Cannabis found in driver's blood (From Stroud News and Journal)

Cannabis found in driver's blood

A WOMAN driver of a car in which a passenger died after the car swerved across a bend and collided with a Post Office delivery van was found to have traces of alcohol and cannabis in her blood.

However, the amount of alcohol in Miss Margaret Lusty's blood was not above the legal limit, an inquest was told on Wednesday.

The inquest heard that Christopher Smith, 44, of Corncroft Lane, Upton St Leonards, died from severe multiple injuries after the collision on the A4173 at Edge on August 25 last year.

Post Office delivery driver Mark Hanson said in a statement that he was going from the Easter Avenue, Gloucester, depot, to the Stroud Salmon Springs sorting office early in the morning.

He was on the A4173 going round a right hand bend when he saw a car coming in the opposite direction slide across the road into the nearside of his 7.5 tonne lorry.

The car crashed into the kerb and then bounced back into the front of his truck.

He stopped and went back to the car where he found the front seat passenger lying with his head in the woman driver's lap.

Another passenger was injured in the rear seat of the car.

Paul Jones, who owned the car driven by Miss Lusty, said he had been with her and Mr Smith drinking and the two men had each consumed six pints of cider.

They were returning to her place when the accident happened. Mr Smith was later certified dead at the scene of the accident.

Pc John Glover said: "The car was in an unrecognisable condition".

He added that tachometer readings from the Post Office lorry showed it had been travelling at 50mph - the exact speed limit for the road.

Forensic scientist Andrew Clatworthy said an analysis of blood taken from Miss Lusty showed a minute concentration of alcohol and had also revealed a trace of cannabis.

Consultant pathologist Dr Jeremy Uff said death was due to multiple injuries.

Police accident investigator Pc Nigel Edwards said he had discovered none of the three people in the car was wearing a seatbelt.

Later Miss Lusty denied using cannabis.

Verdict: Accidental death.