A 76-year-old Lydney woman died because she drove straight past a stop sign at a junction at the Mile End Crossroads and hit a passing car, an inquest heard on Tuesday.

Barbara Prosser was unfamiliar with the stretch of road where the tragedy happened - and may have been dazzled by the low sun directly in front of her, the Gloucester inquest was told.

The county coroner, Katie Skerrett, recorded a conclusion that Mrs Prosser, of Court Road, Lydney, died from major head injuries suffered in a road traffic collision on March 4 this year.

"The reasons why this happened we cannot be definitive about," said the coroner.

"She did not stop at the junction and continued straight through into the path of a car.

"I think in all probability it was due to a momentary lapse of concentration and perhaps the impact of the sun shining in the direction she was driving."

Collision investigator PC Phil Reece said Mrs Prosser’s car speedometer was frozen at 20mph, indicating that was the speed at which she drove through the junction without stopping at the signs.

"The only possible reasons are the presence of the low sun directly ahead or her or that the junction was unfamiliar to her."