AN overgrown grass verge reaching more than six-feet high was "a main contributing factor" in the death of a Herefordshire woman killed while walking her dog, an inquest heard.

Former teacher Josephine Wilson, 66, died at Hereford County Hospital after being in collision with a Honda Civic as she crossed a road in Dormington, just yards from her home.

The hearing at Hereford Town Hall this morning heard from a collision investigator who called the roadside area "dangerous".

He said it was likely Mrs Wilson, who had approached the road from a footpath, was obscured from the sight of the driver because of the state of the verge.

"The grass verge was very high," said PC David Langridge.

"I believe the overgrown grass verge was a main contributory factor in this collision.

"Mrs Wilson would have been obscured in places.

"With that verge, someone stepping out would be dangerous.

"You would have needed very good local knowledge [as a driver] to have been aware of that footpath."

PC Langridge said he didn't believe speed was an issue in the collision.

The driver of the Honda Civic, Nicholas Aubrey, was travelling home from the Mordiford direction towards the A438 Ledbury road.

He said the first he was aware of Mrs Wilson was when he heard the impact.

"I got out and she was in a ditch," he said. "The grass verge was very high, yes. I can only assume the overgrown verge had obscured my view."

A written statement was read out to the inquest from Rachel Rice, the knowledge centre manager for Balfour Beatty Living Places, the Herefordshire Council contractor responsible for cutting grass verges.

She said there were no reports flagging up issues or complaints with the verge prior to the collision, which happened on June 6 last year.

The verge was cut in the days after Mrs Wilson's death, however.

Sadly, Mrs Wilson's dog, Toby, also died in the aftermath of the collision.

Mrs Wilson was a former music, English and maths teacher at the Margaret Allen Preparatory School in Hereford.

A few days after her death, villagers held a candlelit vigil in her memory.

Mrs Wilson's husband, Edwin, had earlier described his wife as an active person with a "razor sharp mind".

He said he had been overwhelmed by the support he had received from those in Dormington following the death, and added his thanks to the "wonderful" emergency services who helped treat his wife.

Pathologist Dr Keith McCarthy said she died of multiple injuries.

Herefordshire's deputy coroner, Roland Wooderson, recorded a verdict of death from a road traffic collision.