The death of a Balfour woman in a car crash last year was caused by a speed "too high for the circumstances and the road conditions", Otago-Southland coroner David Crerar found last week.
Sarda Devi Kumar (49) died in a single-vehicle crash on Mandeville-Kingston Crossing Rd in Riversdale, Southland, on October 16, 2011.
On October 16, Mrs Kumar was returning to Balfour from Gore where she worked as a cook in a rest-home when she lost control of her Nissan Mistral four-wheel-drive vehicle on a moderate bend, striking a concrete power pole.
In the crash investigation report, Senior Constable Kenneth Patterson, of Invercargill, said he considered the crash to be caused by Mrs Kumar leaving the road after failing to negotiate a moderate right-hand bend at speed.
Police estimated the Nissan's speed to have been between 90 and 94kmh when entering the bend, which was signposted with a speed advisory of 75kmh.
The car struck a concrete power pole and two strainer posts, causing extensive damage to the driver's door and right passenger's door, inflicting fatal injuries to Mrs Kumar.
Snr Const Patterson said high heat and fatigue might have also contributed to Mrs Kumar's loss of control over the vehicle as the air conditioning had been set to 27degC.
The coroner concluded Mrs Kumar received fatal injuries when she lost control of the Nissan Mistral she was driving at a speed which was too high for the circumstances and the road conditions.
An ESR examination showed no evidence of alcohol and drugs.
She died from severe brain injuries due to an impact to the head and chest.
