A YOUNG woman died after her mother-in-law lost control of the car they were travelling in following a pre-Christmas get together in Wiveliscombe, an inquest heard.

Mystery surrounds the cause of the accident that claimed the life of Anna Grace Rogers, 29, on the A361 between East Lyng and Burrowbridge.

She, her husband Simon and their two-year-old son Harvey were being driven to her parents’ home in Middlezoy following a family party in Wiveliscombe on December 22 last year.

Perry Guess, the partner of Anna’s sister, who was travelling in the car behind, said: “I saw the car veer slightly over the white line and then rather quickly down the verge into a tree.”

Mr Guess helped Anna’s mother, Sandra, who had been driving, out of the car, while Simon crawled through a window; Anna got out of her own accord and they managed to free Harvey.

“Sandra appeared dazed,” said Mr Guess.

“I asked how Anna was – she replied, ‘OK’. She seemed relatively fine.”

But he became concerned when Anna, from Cornwall, lay down beside the road and a passing ambulance stopped and took her and Harvey to Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton.

During the journey to Taunton, Anna, who had been asleep at the time of the crash, appeared “tired” with “slurred speech” and she felt cold and sick.

Anna’s husband, Simon Rogers, said he spent the night at his son’s bedside in Musgrove but was called at 6am the following day to be told Anna’s condition had deteriorated.

She was being moved to Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, where she died before she could be operated on.

A police examination of the car and the accident scene concluded there were no faults that could have caused the accident.

West Somerset Coroner Michael Rose said the reason the car left the road remains a mystery – it may have been caused by strong winds or Sandra falling asleep at the wheel and then over-steering to correct the car’s direction.

Mr Rose concluded that the cause of Anna Rogers’ death was accidental, with the medical cause traumatic brain injury due to a road traffic accident.