A CORONER ruled yesterday that a woman who died after the car she was driving overturned on an isolated farm road may have fallen asleep at the wheel.

Amrit Kaur, 51, from Thornaby, Teesside, was travelling in a Vauxhall Vectra with her 13-year-old son, Vashinder, when it crashed down an embankment near White House Farm, Maltby, Teesside, on January 14.

The inquest at Teesside Coroner's Court heard the car veered on to a grass verge on the nearside lane before going down the embankment at the entrance to an underpass leading to the farm. The incident is thought to have happened sometime between 6.30pm and 7.30pm.

Mrs Kaur was declared dead at the scene and Vashinder was taken to the James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, suffering from head, leg and spinal injuries.

Vashinder told the court: "I was listening to CDs in the car and I think I had gone to sleep. I was woken up by the car going down a hill. The car was shaking and I shouted out 'Mum'.

"The last memory I have is of shouting 'Mum'."

The inquest heard that there was no evidence that the car had been speeding or that Mrs Kaur had drunk any alcohol or taken any drugs.

PC Paul Hunter, of Cleveland Police crash investigation unit, said: "We failed to find a cause for the collision, but it is my opinion the accident was caused by driver error."

Assistant Tees Coroner, Anthony Eastwood, said: "This has been an incident in where Mrs Kaur has fallen asleep while at the wheel of her vehicle. I have no doubt she did not intend anything to happen."

A verdict of death by accident was recorded.