A road rage woman driver was burned to death after ramming another vehicle and setting her own car on fire by furiously revving her engine until sparks flew from the wheels, it emerged today.

 

Serena Sutton-Smith, 54, had deliberately driven into the back of Paula Small's stationary car and then refused to get out of her Vauxhall Nova as she sat with her foot down on the accelerator.

 

One of her front tyres disintegrated and then the wheel dug into the tarmac, causing sparks which ignited the brake fluid in her engine and set the vehicle alight.

 

A local resident who tried in vain to persuade her to get out watched in horror with others at the scene as she died at the wheel of her burning car, an inquest was told.

 

Mrs Small was driving her Fiat Punto along a country road when Ms Sutton-Smith emerged from a side road, forcing Mrs Small to swerve to avoid a collision.

 

Mrs Small told the inquest she had to drive onto the grass verge and if she had been going any faster she could have been killed.

 

She said she flashed Ms Sutton-Smith, who pulled in ahead of her.

 

Mrs Small drove in front of the Nova and parked about four car lengths ahead, she said.

 

‘I opened my door and put my foot out but as I was getting out there was a bang and I hit my head on the door frame,’ said Mrs Small.

 

She said she realised the Nova had hit the back of her car and the engine was revving hard.

 

‘I was frozen with terror,’ she said.

 

Then, as people at the scene helped her, she saw flames underneath the Nova, she told the inquest.

 

Ms Sutton-Smith, who suffered from drastic mood swings caused by bi-polar disorder, had failed to appreciate the danger she was in because of her mental condition, coroner Alan Crickmore said.

 

Recording a verdict of accidental death, he said he was satisfied she had not intended to kill herself.

 

The tragedy happened on the B4632 road in the Cotswolds between Weston sub Edge and Mickleton, Gloucestershire, on April 30th.

 

Mrs Small was left in tears as she read out her statement describing the bizarre incident to the inquest.

 

Local resident Nicholas Willmore told the inquest he was working in his workshop at Cottage Farm Antiques when his mother alerted him to what was happening in the road outside.

 

He said as he walked across the road to the two cars he saw smoke coming from the engine of the Nova.

 

‘There was a deafening sound of an engine running as though someone had a foot stuck on the accelerator,’ he said.

 

‘The car’s front wheels were spinning and there was loads of revving. I could see a biggish person at the wheel and there was movement in the car.

 

 

‘Flames were coming from underneath the car and I thought the person might be trapped inside although I couldn’t hear any shouting.

 

‘I opened the driver’s door wide. It opened easily. The person looked at me - it was a big built woman.

 

‘I said "You've got to get out of the car. It’s going to burst into flames."

 

‘But she raised her right fist towards me in a threatening manner before slamming the door shut.

 

‘I was a bit bewildered and moved three to four yards back.

 

‘I could see her gesturing towards me. She seemed to be in quite a rage. Both fists were raised and being shaken and the person was looking right at me.

 

‘This was definitely done in a manner to tell me to stay away from her car.’

 

He said he ran to his workshop and fetched a fire extinguisher. He used it on the car but it had no effect. Someone else also had an extinguisher but that made no difference either.

 

‘The heat was getting more and more intense and the flames were growing.I could no longer see inside. There was nothing else that could be done to help the person inside.

 

‘There was no attempt by the person to get out. In my opinion it was against all human instincts for someone to stay inside that car.’

 

 

He said firefighters arrived and tackled the blazing car but too late to save Ms Sutton-Smith.

 

Fire officer Andrew Clayton said when the blaze was extinguished it was clear the woman inside was already dead. Her burns were so severe it was impossible to tell her sex.

 

‘The circumstances indicate this was a deliberate act,’ he said. ‘She remained in the vehicle after ramming a car and then sat with the front wheels spinning until fire developed.

 

‘The front nearside passenger wheel gouged into the road surface by 50mms and the tyre was totally destroyed by the friction. This would have produced sparks igniting fluid, most probably brake fluid.’

 

 

The inquest heard medical evidence that Ms Sutton-Smith suffered from bi-polar disorder and could become extremely agitated.

 

Her mental condition made it likely that she would act impulsively and fail to appreciate when she was in danger.

 

Her most recent job had been behind the bar in the Aston sub Edge working men's club.

 

The coroner said ‘At no time, prior to becoming incapacitated, was Serena trapped in her vehicle.

 

‘She was certainly able to get out of it when Mr Willmore opened the door and invited her to do so.

 

‘I am driven to the conclusion that if at any time she had wanted to do so before becoming incapacitated she could have got out of the car and would not have died as a result of the fire.

 

‘I am satisfied the fire was started because of her deliberate actions. But I am far from satisfied that at that point in time it was her clear intention that death would ensue.

 

‘I think it is more likely than not that she failed to understand the peril she was in and the consequences of her actions.’

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1059512/Road-rage-woman-burned-death-setting-engine-alight-revving-hard-victim.html

Awww :sad:

 

I don't think she would have realized either... that's terrible

 

RIP :(

Awww :sad:

 

I don't think she would have realized either... that's terrible

 

RIP :(

what on earth:(