A 94-year-old widow died when she was run over by a Land Rover which she mistakenly thought was slowing down to let her cross the road, an inquest heard.

Gwendoline Copping suffered multiple injuries when she was crossing Sandgate Road, near the Royal Bank of Scotland in Folkestone on her mobility scooter on Friday, April 15 earlier this year.

At her inquest held last Wednesday (September 7), it was heard that Hackney-born Mrs Copping was returning home after a visit to the pharmacy.

Motorist Susan Baker, of Fairfax Close in Folkestone, who drove the burgundy vehicle, was called to give evidence.

She said she did not see Mrs Copping at all, but confirmed it was a drizzly day and that her wipers were going at “medium” speed.

Ms Baker said: “I was looking for a parking space, it is a place where people park for an hour, you need to have a good look around. I was waiting for someone to pull out.

“It is always busy along that road and as it was raining I wanted to get as close to the shop as I could.

“At that point I heard a big bang and instantly put the brakes on, I thought I must have hit a car.

“When I got out and saw her it was a complete shock.”

Mrs Copping, who laid on the floor conscious, said “I thought you were slowing down to let me out.”

This statement was repeated several times, the inquest heard.

The great-grand mother was taken to the William Harvey Hospital with a head and leg injury but died the next day.

PC Glynn Walker read out a witness statement from van driver Richard Styles, who was behind Ms Baker when it happened.

He raised concerns that the driver could have been on her phone, but this was dismissed after a police investigation.

Passers-by covered Mrs Copping in coats and sheltered her from the rain with umbrellas until paramedics arrived.

The scooter was left side-on, but later taken in by tanning salon The Sun House for the family to collect the following day.

PC Walker said Ms Baker’s reaction to the collision was “appropriate”.

He told the inquest: “In this particular case it was clear to us that she had not braked until after the impact, but that is not unexpected.

“Taking everything into account, this was the result of a misunderstanding. Mrs Copping believed the driver was slowing down for her to cross. This was a tragic and unfortunate mistake.”

Mrs Copping’s daughter Barbara Bradford was given permission to read a statement out after all the evidence had been heard.

When reading it out, she broke down in tears.

She said: "This is my only time to make any point.

"We have no other time to speak about anything.

"I have been asked what I expect from the inquest, it is for the truth to be told and for my mother to have a voice.

"This cannot bring my mother back she made the ultimate sacrifice for her misjudgement.

"She has been taken early from us."

Mrs Copping lived nearby at Homepine House in Sandgate Road, after previously moving from Worth near Deal 12 years earlier. She was a retired secretary and widowed.

Coroner Roger Hatch recorded a verdict that Mrs Copping died due to a road traffic collision and misunderstanding.