Inquest into driver's death at Plusha junction on A30

BBC News

14-05-2025

A 79-year-old woman died at a road junction in Cornwall after she pulled into the path of an oncoming car, an inquest found.Geraldine Gibson, who lived near Launceston, was seen on CCTV driving towards the central reservation of the A30 at Plusha before her vehicle was struck by a car on 11 August 2024. The inquest at Cornwall Coroner's Court on Tuesday heard driver Amelia Collins had been travelling at 70mph along the A30 and said: "I did not see her pull out. I could not have done anything to avoid the collision."Assistant coroner Emma Hillson heard between 2015 and 2024 there had been 22 crashes leading to three deaths, nine serious injuries and a total of 54 casualties at the junction.
Miss Hillson said the majority of the collisions had involved the same manoeuvre turning right from the B3257 on to the Launceston-bound A30 carriageway.Jack Mason, road safety manager for National Highways in the South West, said the biggest contributory factor in these collisions had been "driver error".He said improvements had been made to the Plusha junction and further changes to the area would be made from 2026 to 2027.The right turn from the Callington junction across the A30 would not be reopened following a temporary closure after the third fatal crash last November, he added.Mrs Gibson's grandson Sam Johnson said it was a "shame" safety measures could not have been made sooner and added he was "sad that other people have been affected".Devon and Cornwall Motor Police Constable Jamie Hubbard said there had been no suspicious circumstances and no criminal proceedings would follow.Miss Hillson recorded a conclusion of road traffic collision.