Slush Pile: Road rage rammer gets flamed

2008 Slush Pile

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Road rage rammer gets flamed

2008 Reader Submission
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http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/3697346.Fiery_road_rage_death/

Swindon, UK: Fiery road rage death

7:05pm Tuesday 23rd September 2008

A ROAD rage woman driver burnt to death after ramming another vehicle and then revving her engine until sparks flew from the spinning wheels and set her car on fire.

Serena Sutton-Smith, 54, deliberately drove into the back of a woman's stationary car and then refused to get out of her Vauxhall Nova as she sat with her foot down on the accelerator.

One of her front tyres disintegrated and then the wheel dug into the road. This caused sparks to ignite the brake fluid in her engine and set the car alight.

A resident who tried to persuade her to get out watched in horror with others at the scene as she died at the wheel of her burning car, an inquest in Gloucester was told.

It happened on the B4632 road in the Cotswolds between Weston sub Edge and Mickleton, on April 30.

Gloucestershire coroner Alan Crickmore, was told that Ms Sutton-Smith, of Clarke Cottages, Weston sub Edge, suffered mood swings caused by bi-polar disorder.

He said he was satisfied she had not intended to kill herself and had simply failed, because of her mental condition, to appreciate the danger she was in. He recorded an accidental verdict.

The inquest heard that Paula Small was driving her Fiat Punto on the B4632 when Ms Sutton-Smith emerged from a side road, forcing Mrs Small to swerve to avoid a collision.

Mrs Small said she flashed the vehicle, which pulled in front of her.

“I opened my door and put my foot out but as I was getting out there was a bang and I hit my head on the door frame,” said Mrs Small.

She said she realised the Nova had hit the back of her car and the engine was revving hard.

“I was frozen with terror,” she said.

Resident Nicholas Willmore told the inquest he was working in his workshop when his mother alerted him to what was happening outside.

“There was a deafening sound of an engine running as though someone had a foot stuck on the accelerator,” he said.

“The car's front wheels were spinning and there was loads of revving.

“I opened the driver’s door wide. It opened easily. I said ‘You've got to get out of the car. It’s going to burst into flames.’ He said the woman raised her fist at him and he ran to his workshop, fetched a fire extinguisher and used it on the car.

Firefighters arrived and tackled the blazing car, but they were too late to save Ms Sutton-Smith, who was dead before the fire could be put out

Submitted on 09/23/2008

Submitted by: Anonymous
Reference: Swindon Advertiser 23 Sep 2008

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2008 Slush Pile

Road rage rammer gets flamed

2008 Reader Submission Pending Acceptance

2008 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance