A YOUNG woman died after losing control of her car while travelling to work on a notorious stretch of road, an inquest heard yesterday.

Nicola Constantine, circuit operations assistant at the Croft racing circuit, was driving south on the A167 between Darlington and Croft when the accident happened in August last year, on a right-hand bend, half a mile south of Blands Corner roundabout, scene of a 1997 accident in which two people died.

An inquest in Darlington was told yesterday that Miss Constantine, of Bellburn Lane, Darlington, who was known to her friends as Nicky, lost control of her Peugeot 306 and veered into the opposite lane, clipping a Ford Mondeo which was travelling north.

The force of the crash was so severe that witnesses reported seeing the 24-year-old being thrown out of the rear window of her car.

Although paramedics arrived within minutes she suffered severe head injuries and was declared dead at the scene.

Eyewitness David Park told the inquest that he was driving a Ford Transit van on the opposite side of the road when the accident happened.

He said he saw Miss Constantine coming round the bend and saw her hitting the grass verge on her side of the road.

This resulted in her vehicle leaving the road and crossing the carriageway towards Mr Park's vehicle.

He took evasive action and Miss Constantine's car hit the grass verge on his side of the road before going past his van and hitting the Mondeo which was travelling behind him.

Another witness, Anthony Hoyle, who was travelling behind the Mondeo, said he saw something fly out of the back window of the Peugeot and it was only afterwards that he realised it was Miss Constantine.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Darlington coroner Colin Penna said Miss Constantine's death was "sad".

"It is crystal clear that the injuries were sustained by Miss Constantine when she was involved in this horrendous accident," he said.