A YOUNG bride died in a car crash while on her honeymoon, an inquest heard.

Ruth Elizabeth Ward, 24, from Hawes in North Yorkshire, was killed in Kamloops, Canada, last August.

Her 27-year-old husband Stephen, a TV and audio technician who was driving the car at the time of the accident, escaped serious injury.

The newlyweds were in the second week of their honeymoon, and were travelling from Banff to Vancouver.

Today's inquest into her death in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, heard that they came to a busy intersection on the main road where they misunderstood the Canadian traffic signals, believing they were being directed to turn left.

As they turned a pick-up truck hit the passenger side of the left-hand-drive car, where Mrs Ward was sitting.

She sustained multiple internal injuries, including a fractured skull.

At the inquest in Harrogate Magistrates Court, coroner Geoff Fell read out a statement from Mrs Ward's widower Stephen.

In it, he spoke of his devastation at his wife's death.

The statement read: "We had a wonderful relationship.

"We were happy with our whole lives ahead of us.

"I am totally and utterly devastated by the loss of my wife."

The couple had married three months before the honeymoon, but had delayed their holiday so as not to interfere with school holidays at Ingleton Primary School, where Mrs Ward was a senior nursery nurse.

Mr Fell also read out a statement from Gail Holotuk, coroner for the Province of British Columbia in Canada, who had carried out the original inquest.

He said he would abide by Ms Holotuk's findings that Mrs Ward's death was accidental.

The statement read: "Mrs Ward sustained multiple internal injuries in a motor vehicle collision.

"A misunderstanding of Canadian traffic law played a part.

"Her death was accidental."