A WOMAN died from internal injuries after walking away from a motorway accident with what seemed like just a dislocated shoulder, an inquest has heard.
Huma Khan, who had travelled to England from Pakistan to visit her son, was a passenger in his car when it skidded across the M1. She bore the brunt of the impact.
Her son, Junaid, who lives in Hill Crescent, Harrow, was driving back from a shopping trip in Manchester with his mother and one other passenger, Taha Javed.
Mrs Khan, 47, who was born in Karachi, was in the right-hand rear passenger seat in the Toyota Avensis on June 5 last year when the car spun out of control in what were described by police officers at the scene as ‘abysmal’ conditions.
Coroner Edward Thomas recorded a verdict of accidental death at St Albans Coroner’s Court, in Hatfield, on Wednesday last week.
The court heard how Junaid Khan lost control near junction seven of the M1 shortly before midnight in heavy rain and the car skidded across two lanes of the motorway. It hit a Peugeot on the hard shoulder.
That car and three others had been involved in another accident half an hour earlier.
PC Lee Thompson, who attended the incident involving the Khans, said at the hearing: “It was abysmal that evening. There had been heavy rain throughout the day and that continued through the night.
“I put the block on at junction nine because it would have been too dangerous to do it before, considering the conditions.”
Mrs Khan was able to get out of the Toyota. At the time, it was thought she had suffered only a dislocated shoulder.
In a statement read out by the coroner, Junaid said: “She was a strict woman and was looking after my mobile phone so I couldn’t use it while driving and she didn’t like people to drive too fast.”
Mrs Khan was taken to Watford General Hospital, where her condition began to deteriorate. She was found to be suffering from internal bleeding and a number of fractured ribs.
The bleeding had caused her abdomen to become distended and she underwent emergency surgery. During the operation, however, it was discovered that she had a diseased liver, which meant the blood would not clot as easily as normal.
She was taken to intensive care but doctors soon realised they would need to operate further. However, before that could be arranged, her blood pressure dropped and Mrs Khan died in the early hours of June 6.
The cause of death was recorded as multiple traumatic injuries.
Just after the accident involving Mr Khan’s car, a bus came dangerously close to the hard shoulder.
Mr Thomas told him: “The National Express driver was able to avoid hitting another car, but only by luck and possibly skillful driving.
“You were not so fortunate and sadly your mother lost her life.”
