AN Aberporth woman died driving to work after debris in the road led to a collision on the A487, an inquest in Aberystwyth has heard.

On the 27 May 2021, Nicola Jayne Rees Jennings, 51, was driving from her home in Pentraeth, Aberporth to work in Aberystwyth. Guttering from a chalet that was being transported to New Quay had been knocked into the road, blocking her side of the carriageway.

That morning, two wide loads vehicles were making their way from Swansea with two halves of a holiday chalet, set to be delivered to Haven holiday park in New Quay.

Mike Watson, driver of one these vehicles told the court: “We were driving quite slowly and the journey had been going fine. At one point, just north of the Tanygroes scrap yard, there was a lorry coming towards us on the other side of the road.

“The speed at which the lorry was coming at, I automatically moved out the way to avoid collision between it and my load.”

Following this, Mr Watson’s load brushed the treeline, causing the guttering of the chalet to break and fall into the road.

Having not noticed the damage, the guttering remained on the road between Tanygroes and Sarnau.

Mr David Stacey, a police investigator who has since retired, told the court: “Debris laid across the mini’s (Mrs Jenning’s) lane.

“From the video footage available to us, there is no suggestion of any shudder or judder from the HGV following the collision with trees.

“The mini had attempted to avoid the debris, pushing it almost completely into the oncoming lane.”

Stuart Bell, the driver of the other car involved in the collision explained in his statement the speed of events.

“I was driving to Cardigan to work, I was travelling along and it was all so quick, I saw a car on my side of the road.

“It was completely on my side of the road, that’s when I noticed the black thing on the road as well, which is when I tried to go round the car and that’s all I remember.”

Mr Stacey expressed that the combined speed of the collision is somewhere around 100 mph and that “Mr Bell had no opportunity to avoid the mini.”

Coroner Peter Brunton concluded, saying: “The driver of the HGV was unaware of the damage.

“Nobody can be found at fault, had the guttering fallen to the verge we might not be here today but it fell 90 degrees to the carriageway.”

Mr Brunton recorded the verdict as accident, expressing his deepest sympathies to Mrs Jennings’ husband, family and friends.