A 95-year-old driver had a “frozen look of panic” on her face just seconds before her car careered into a building in Chesham, an inquest heard today.

Pauline Cork, a widow who lived in Latimer for more than 40 years, suffered fatal injuries after her red Daihatsu crashed into a King Street resident’s garage on August 7. She did not appear to have been wearing a seatbelt at the time.

Mrs Cork – who was described as a “fit and active” woman by her niece and carer, Judith Hooper - was driving a route she was familiar with on her way to Waitrose to pick up some shopping when disaster struck just before 3pm.

Witness Gillian Windett, who was driving in the opposite direction when she saw Mrs Cork’s car coming towards her, said she thought it was travelling “too fast” for the sharp corner she was approaching.

She said: “I thought the car was not going to make it. It swung out and was half on my side of the road. The red car swung back in. As the car went past me, I saw the elderly driver had a frozen look on her face. It was a look of panic. The car was out of control. Then I heard a loud bang.”

Mrs Windett rushed to help after the car mounted a pavement before crashing into the garage and said Mrs Cork had a “frightened” look on her face.

Another witness, Catherine Barnett, said Mrs Cork’s car “went round in an arc” before hitting the garage and the force of the crash then propelled the car backwards.

Crash investigator, Andrew Evans from Thames Valley Police, said there was no evidence Mrs Cork had suffered a medical episode behind the wheel, and most likely pressed the accelerator accidentally while trying to navigate the sharp bend.

Mechanical issues with the car were also ruled out.

He said: “In the last two years, I have been to five other crashes that have involved elderly people in automatic cars. It could have been a case of unintended acceleration - Mrs Cork may have accidentally pressed the accelerator instead of the brake.

“She knew the road. There is nothing there to catch people out. It is not an accident blackspot. She was actively steering round the corner, which rules out a medical episode. She just went round the corner too fast.”

A post-mortem found the cause of Mrs Cork’s death to be blunt cardiac trauma.

Alison McCormick, assistant coroner for Bucks, concluded that Mrs Cork died as a result of a road traffic collision at an inquest on Wednesday afternoon.

She said: “Mrs Cork may have depressed the accelerator instead of the brake. She knew the road, it is unlikely that she misjudged the corner. There is no evidence she was wearing a seatbelt.”

Addressing the widow’s family who were present for the hearing, she said: “I understand what a terrible shock it must have been to lose Mrs Cork in such a sudden way.”