Motorist Joanne Hobbs was nearly twice the drink drive limit when she lost control of her car, killing herself and a passenger, an inquest heard, writes Ian Townsend.

Mrs Hobbs and student Daniel Slatford, 18, died after her car left the road on a series of bends, vaulted a ditch, hit a tree and rolled over.

Coroner Dr Richard Hulett blamed the crash at Long Crendon, near Thame, on a combination of drink, speed and unfamiliarity with the road.

Neither Daniel, of Marston Road, Thame, a student at Lord Williams's School, nor Mrs Hobbs, of Cressex, High Wycombe, was wearing a seat belt. But the coroner told the inquest at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury, that a belt would not have saved them.

Mrs Hobbs had 134 units of alcohol in her blood where the legal limit was 80 units, he was told.

Two other passengers, John Batson from Haddenham and Daniel's girlfriend, Gemma Edwards, of Long Crendon, were injured but survived the smash. The inquest heard Mrs Hobbs went into the bend too fast, at about 60mph, and lost control after over-correcting.

Police agreed the road signs and chevrons were filthy with sprayed dirt and that some red-topped warning posts were missing.

The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Daniel's mother, Lesley, has launched a campaign to improve safety at the bends.

Story date: Friday 30 April

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.