THE reason for a head-on car crash in which mother-of-two Printha Ellis and two close relatives died will never be known, Wiltshire Coroner David Masters said yesterday.

In the crash on the Wet Pit bends at Ogbourne St Andrew on September 7, Marlborough businessman Mark Ellis lost his wife, step-mother and mother-in-law.

Printha Ellis, 57, of St Martin's, was driving the white Rover car carrying her father-in-law Bill Ellis in the front passenger seat and her mother Eleanor Ault and step-mother-in-law Maureen Ellis in the rear seats.

Mrs Ault, 89, visiting from America, and Maureen Ellis, 74, from Aberdeen, both died instantly from broken necks as the Rover crashed into a truck.

Printha Ellis, a leading educational author, received multiple injuries and died a few hours later at Swindon's Great Western Hospital with her husband at her bedside.

Bill Ellis, 82, survived the crash.

During the 90-minute hearing the coroner heard evidence from several witnesses who saw the Rover drift across the central white lines and into the offside lane for no apparent reason.

The driver of the truck involved, Byron Alley, of Tetbury, said in a statement: "For no apparent reason that I could see, the white car began moving across the road steadily as if changing lanes on a motorway."

Mr Alley said he thought it was a momentary loss of concentration by the car driver who he expected to correct the manoeuvre.

However, Mr Alley said, the car driver made no attempt to pull back over. He continued: "As the white car approached I can recall seeing the face of the driver and she appeared very frightened. She did not appear to be doing anything to avoid a collision."

Mr Alley said he braked heavily and swung his truck onto the nearside verge but, he added: "There was nothing I could do to avoid a collision."

In a statement Bill Ellis said he could recall the Rover drifting across the centre of the road. "I did not get the impression it was a planned manoeuvre to avoid anything in the road."

Police accident investigator PC Mark Morrison said that it appeared Mrs Ellis had lost concentration for a couple of seconds.

In recording verdicts of accidental death Mr Masters said the reason why Mrs Ellis did not correct her steering would never be known.

After the inquest Mr Ellis said his thoughts were with truck driver Mr Alley who, he feared, would have the accident on his mind for the rest of his life although he was blame free.