A grandmother died after the car she was travelling in was involved in a collision with a lorry.

Margaret Charlotte, 55, a home carer from Nickelsfield, Loxwood, near Billingshurst, died a month after the crash, which happened on the A29 at Hardham, near Pulborough, on October 2.

She was a back-seat passenger in a Rover driven by her daughter Michaela Bagley. Mrs Bagley's two-year-old daughter Yasmin was in a child's seat in the front.

Barry Jillett, 32, of Ophir Road, Worthing, was driving his lorry in the opposite direction when it went over a bridge, crossed the central white lines and crashed into the oncoming car, an inquest at Chichester heard yesterday.

Mrs Bagley, 35, of Daux Avenue, Billingshurst, told the inquest she had slowed down as she approached the bridge by the Swan roundabout in Hardham.

She said: "I just saw the lorry heading towards me and said to my mother 'Bloody hell, it's going to hit us' and it did.

"The lorry driver had his hand raised to his chin. Initially I thought he had a mobile phone in his hands. He didn't appear to slow down and just kept coming at me."

Paramedic Matthew Edwards said when he arrived Yasmin was out of the wreckage being looked after by passers-by. Mrs Bagley was trapped behind the wheel and asking about Mrs Charlotte.

Mr Edwards said Mr Jillett told him he had put on the brakes and skidded into oncoming traffic.

Later that day Mr Jillett was quizzed by police about fresh orange peel in the central compartment of the lorry.

Sergeant Gary Pearson told the hearing Mr Jillett said: "Yeah, it was mine. I didn't have anywhere else to put it.

"I hadn't had any breakfast and ate the orange as I was literally coming out of the house."

Mr Jillett told police he was not eating the orange at the time of the crash.

There was also no record of any calls made on his two mobile phones at the time.

Jamie Simpson, consultant pathologist at St Richard's Hospital, Chichester, said Mrs Charlotte died on November 1 from a brain haemorrhage and multiple injuries.

West Sussex coroner Roger Stone recorded a verdict of accidental death.

He said: "Sadly there was a collision of two vehicles. There may have been errors by one or more parties but this is not for me to decide."

Mr Jillett is due to appear before Horsham magistrates on April 30 charged with careless driving.