A FORMER parish council chairman died when his car was involved in a head-on crash after he cut the corner as he tried to turn across the A358 on a sharp bend.

Philip Sayers, 88, of Lydeard St Lawrence, died in hospital after the accident on June 29 last year.

An inquest in Taunton heard he had been heading home from Williton when his silver Volvo S40 collided head-on with a blue Suzuki Swift being driven in the opposite direction.

Police investigators said the Volvo was in fifth gear at the time of the collision and officers believed Mr Sayers had cut the corner as he tried to turn into Upcott Lane, Stogumber.

West Somerset coroner Michael Rose said the driver of the Suzuki, Calum Heath, had been driving between 40 and 45mph and could not have avoided the collision.

"Mr Sayers was travelling in too high a gear and I have a slight feeling was taking a short cut by only a matter of a few feet.

"I don't think Mr Heath was responsible in any way.

"If Mr Sayers had been a younger man he may have survived the accident but he died later that night at Musgrove Park Hospital," Mr Rose said.

He said Mr Sayers died of a haemorrhage due to a ruptured aorta and recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Mr Heath and his passenger Sean O'Connor, who both had to be cut free from the wreckage of the Suzuki, were travelling from their homes in Middlesex to Butlins in Minehead when the accident happened at 3pm.

Mr Heath, who suffered a broken foot and spent seven days in hospital, said he had been driving slowly as he was not used to twisty country roads.

He said he had no recollection of the impact: "I think my mind has blocked it out, to be honest."

Mr O'Connor fractured his back in the accident and has only recently been able to walk again.

In a statement read to the inquest, he said he suddenly saw the Volvo in front of them on their side of the road.

He believed the collision was entirely the Volvo driver's fault and said the car had "come straight at us".

Witness Lourdes Castillo-Baly, of Williton, was driving behind the Suzuki and said she believed Mr Heath might have been able to avoid the collision if he had been driving more slowly, although she estimated his speed to be below the speed limit at around 45mph.

She said the Volvo had turned across the A358 in front of the Suzuki and that Mr Sayers appeared to have "turned early".

Donna Woon, from Cornwall, was travelling behind Ms Castillo-Baly and said Mr Heath had been driving "carefully and normally".

"As far as I can tell the collision was caused by the silver car crossing the path of the blue car," she said in a statement.

"It appeared to me he was cutting the corner."

Another motorist, Tracey Ogden, from Minehead, saw the Volvo pull across in front of the Suzuki.

"The Suzuki had nowhere to go and smashed into it," she said.

"The collision was caused by the silver car pulling across the path of the Suzuki."

Police investigator Andrew Greig said there were no faults on either vehicle which could have contributed to the crash.

Impact marks at the scene indicated the Volvo had been on the wrong side of the road when the accident happened and the Suzuki's speedometer had stuck at just over 40mph following the crash.

"The Volvo was crossing the path of the Suzuki at the time of the collision and the Suzuki was on the right side of the road," he said.

"The Volvo was in fifth gear at the time of the collision, so its speed on approach to the junction may have been higher than was prudent.

"Mr Sayers' age could also have reduced his reaction time."

He said he had not been able to conclude accurately the Volvo's speed at the point of impact, but said both vehicles had been badly damaged.

"I would have expected someone who knew the area to have dropped down to about 30mph and maybe second gear, which suggests to me that Mr Sayers had not planned what he was doing," Mr Greig said.

Mr Rose said he did not believe Mr Sayers was any less capable of driving just because he was 88 and added: "I have never believed that people should be stopped from driving."