Driver, 87, died after car struck fallen tree

A WOMAN from Goring died after hitting a fallen tree in her car.

Doreen Godley, 87, was travelling along the B4526 near Crays Pond towards Goring on January 2 when her Smart Forfour collided with the 35m high birch which had been brought down by strong winds during Storm Henk.

Oxford Coroner’s Court heard how she suffered “multiple injuries” and died at the scene despite the efforts of passers-by.

An eyewitness, who was travelling along Eastfield Lane from Goring to Reading at about 5.35pm, said he believed Mrs Godley must not have seen the tree in the road.

In a statement that was read out in court, he said: “I was heading down the road and a car heading towards me flashed.

“I then saw three cars and a tree blocking the road. I did a three-point turn and noticed lights coming towards me but the car did not stop.”

He said he and other drivers went to help Mrs Godley.

“We managed to free the door,” he said. “I thought how frail the lady looked and we needed to get her out of the vehicle.

“There were three people around me and I put her in the recovery position and tried to feel her pulse.”

Two people took it in turns to perform CPR for about 10 minutes while the third person called 999 and went to collect a defibrillator from a nearby pub as Mrs Godley had gone into cardiac arrest.

A tree surgeon who had been called out to deal with fallen trees in the area said: “I went back to my car and I suddenly heard a crash. The whole car went into the air.”

Police arrived on the scene at about 5.45pm and closed the road.

Assistant coroner Joanna Coleman recorded that Mrs Godley died as a result of the collision.

Thames Valley Police referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct for investigation as the tree was one of several which had been reported to the force about 90 minutes before the crash.

The investigation concluded that no action should be taken against the officers involved.

Mrs Godley, a widow, previously lived in Whitchurch Hill and was a member of the village’s branch of the Women’s Institute. Her husband Brian died in 2010.