More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
An expectant mum may have suffered a blackout before a fatal crash, an inquest has heard.
Witnesses to the death of Lucinda Harding told police they saw no brake lights flash on her Suzuki Swift as it veered off the M25 near Sevenoaks and crashed through a fence in August.
Miss Harding, 27, was driving to see family in Eastbourne from her home in Middlesex, when her car came off the clockwise carriageway near the junction for Sevenoaks.
Kent coroner Roger Hatch heard Miss Harding, who was eight months pregnant, had overtaken several cars that were in lane one.
All three cars reported seeing the keen baton twirler's grey Suzuki veer to the left and crash into a fence on a grass verge.
Miss Harding and her unborn baby girl, Niamh, died at the scene.
While Miss Harding's cause of death was given as traumatic injuries, there was discussion over why her car left the road.
Police staff employee Angela Holmes said there was no evidence of third party involvement, driver distraction or fault with either the car or the road. Miss Harding was travelling within the speed limit.
Professor Sebastian Lucas said the death may have been connected by a Mitral Valve Prolapse - a condition Miss Harding was diagnosed with in 2012.
The senior pathologist said: "There was a degree of Mitral Valve abnormality which some how did trigger an arrhythmia.
"In normal circumstances it would cause a minor blackout and recovery. But if one is in control of a car it can be very different.
"Whether Lucinda did recover from the blackout in the seconds from the lane to the fence we will never know.
"If she did, it was too late to avoid this terrible accident."
He added: "If Lucinda hadn't been driving we wouldn't be here."
The inquest heard Miss Harding had not suffered from blackouts prior to the day she died.
Coroner Roger Hatch said: "It's clear from the evidence I've received that the appropriate conclusion is Lucinda died due to natural causes.
"May I express my sympathy for this dreadful tragedy."
For more information on why we attend inquests, please click here.
