A 90-YEAR-OLD retired Settle shopkeeper died after driving into the path of an oncoming car.

Witnesses told an inquest how they had seen Herbert Speight's car drift over to the other side of the road seconds before it collided head-on with a BMW. The accident occurred on July 9 last year on the A65 near Settle. Elaine Emmott told how she came up behind Mr Speight's Ford Fiesta at Hellifield. She saw the car drift towards the centre white line on several occasions.

Mrs Emmott told the inquest: "I dropped back because the car was veering over to the other side of the road and I thought there might be an accident."

The driver of the BMW, Anthony Kent, said he was travelling at around 35 to 40mph when the accident happened.

"I was coming out of a very small s-bend. I had driven 20 yards and was just straightening up when all I know is this car was coming straight at me from the opposite side of the road."

Mr Kent said he braked and tried to take evasive action, but was surrounded by dry stone walls and only managed to mount the grass verge.

A post mortem revealed Mr Speight, of Station Road, Giggleswick, was a fit man for his age and there was no indication he had any sort of heart problem.

A police report showed he could not have been unconscious at the time of the accident because investigations showed he had his foot on the brake and the clutch at the time of the crash.

Coroner Geoff Fell said it was clear something had been amiss and in his opinion it seemed Mr Speight had been taken unwell while driving. He recorded a verdict of accidental death.

* A Giggleswick driver had no chance to avert a fatal crash between himself and a motorcyclist, the inquest heard.

Richard James Hopwood, 53, of Foredale Cottages, Helwith Bridge died after his motorcycle collided head-on with a Peugeot 406 driven by Roger Walton. The accident occurred between Ingleton and Hawes on June 20.

Mr Walton told the inquest he saw the bike approach a bend in the road "extremely quickly".

He added: "The cycle drifted across the road until he was within a foot of the grass verge. He then successfully changed gear and accelerated towards me. The motorcycle then approached me completely on my side of the road.

"I had time to say out loud 'I don't believe this' then I had time to think 'I don't think I am going to survive this'. At that point the motorcycle hit the dead centre of the bonnet at the front of the vehicle. I have no evidence whatsoever that at any time he knew of my presence."

Mr Walton said it was difficult to judge the speed of the motorbike, but it could have been 60 to 80mph or more.

An accident investigator's report concluded: "On negotiating a left hand bend, the bike drifted into the opposite lane directly in the pathway of the driver. The damage sustained was consistent with a high speed impact."

Coroner Geoff Fell said there was no explanation why Mr Hopwood crossed the centre line. He could have been driving too fast or beyond his capabilities, or both. He recorded a verdict of accidental death.