A “generous and happy” grandmother was crushed by her daughter-in-law’s car on her own driveway and died days later in hospital after suffering serious internal injuries, an inquest has heard.

Nuzhat Salim, 64, had spent the day shopping with her son’s wife, Kanza Kiran, on November 1 and was being dropped off at her High Wycombe home when she fell over on her driveway in front of Ms Kiran’s car.

In what a coroner described as a “tragic accident”, Ms Kiran jumped out of her black Audi A3, leaving her two young sons in the back and ran to help her mother-in-law – but the car rolled forwardon the sloping driveway, crushing Mrs Salim’s lower body.

Mrs Salim, who lived in Walton Drive and was originally from Pakistan, was rushed to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford but died from catastrophic injuries to her abdomen on November 6 after multiple surgeries.

In a statement made by Ms Kiran which was read out at an inquest into her mother-in-law’s death at Buckinghamshire Coroner’s Court on Wednesday, she told how they had spent the day shopping at the Eden Shopping Centre.

She said: “We were buying presents for a birthday party that weekend and she made a comment that her shoes were slippery at times and she wanted to get a new pair while we were out.

“At 2.45pm we went to go and pick up my older son from school and he was so happy to see her and hugged her. My husband was working from home that day so we were going to drop her off and then go home.

“We were talking about the party at the weekend and what she would cook. She was so smiley and happy. When we got to her house I pulled up in the driveway and she got out and hugged the boys goodbye.

“I had my foot on the brake and I put the car in park. I didn’t put the handbrake on because I was only dropping her off.”

Ms Kiran told how her mother-in-law walked round the front of the car but then slipped over.

She said: “I got out the car to help her but the car rolled forward about a metre. She was trapped between the car and the front door. I started shouting for help. I felt so helpless.”

Paramedics arrived at 3.48pm and rushed Mrs Salim to the major trauma unit at John Radcliffe, with a distraught Ms Kiran going with her in the ambulance.

She added: “At the hospital I was told she had a crushed pelvis. I was crying so much but she it was her destiny and gave me a hug. She asked for water and I gave her some. I was so glad I could do that for her. It was the last time we spoke to her as they sedated her that night and then she passed away.”

Describing her mother-in-law, she said: “We would see or speak to each other every day. Ammi [Urdu for mother] was so generous and family-orientated. She was always in town shopping and meeting friends.

“I couldn’t believe it had happened. I kept thinking God would wake her up.

“Ammi was always so good to me. She was always looking after me. I never got the chance to look after her.”

Despite various surgeries to repair the horrific damage to her organs – including trying to rebuild her urinary system – she sadly passed away at 1.45pm on November 6 after her family were told she would be unlikely to survive any further operations.

Andrew Evans, collision investigator for Thames Valley Police, said the car had no mechanical defects that would make it roll forward, adding that it was likely that the car’s handbrake was not on at the time.

Crispin Butler, senior coroner for Bucks, concluded that Mrs Salim died as a result of a road traffic collision.

He said: “Getting out of the car to help her mother-in-law was a very tragic and very instant error of judgement, but an entirely understandable one, I think.”