A woman who was on her way to hospital after hearing of the death of a close friend died when her car hit a tree, an inquest heard.

Vera Wiser-Loots, 74, of Arles Avenue, Wisbech, died from spinal injuries after her Suzuki Splash left the road and crashed on the A47 at Walsoken at about 2am on November 8 last year.

An inquest into her death, held in Norwich yesterday, heard how she had been on her way to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital after she had been told her close friend, who had been ill for sometime, had died.

It was heard that she had been suffering from a painful back and had been taking sleep medication zopiclone for sometime - but it was unclear whether she had taken any that night.

Evidence from collision investigator PC Paul Cant suggested that Mrs Viser-Loots had not attempted to apply the brakes or swerve to avoid the tree and that she may have fallen asleep or passed out at the wheel.

Norfolk coroner William Armstrong said: 'It's immensely sad and really moving to reflect that she was on her way to see her friend who had died.

'My deepest sympathies go to her husband Raymond and the rest of the family. She was quite a remarkable person; a big hearted, popular person who lived life to the full.'

Mr Armstrong recorded a verdict of death as a result of a road traffic collision.