John Jones, 71, died from multiple injuries when an oncoming car lost control, veered across the road and smashed into his dual control Ford Fiesta.

The learner driver Maria Vaughan, giving evidence at Mr Jones' inquest, claimed the oncoming Rover 200 was trying to overtake another vehicle just moments before the crash.

The inquest heard seconds after the collision 42-year-old Mrs Vaughan grabbed the hand of the instructor and said: "John, are we going to die, are we going to die?"

West Cumbria coroner John Taylor recorded a verdict of accidental death on Wednesday.

Mrs Vaughan told the hearing: "He was just gazing with his mouth open, there was no response.

Accounts differed

"I thought the car was going to burst into flames and I was going to die but emergency crews got me out."

Despite Mrs Vaughan believing the Rover was overtaking another vehicle, eye witness accounts differed.

Other drivers on the road - the A595 near Whitehaven, Cumbria - saw the Rover, driven by Paul Bennett, lose control, skid and veer across the road.

A police accident investigator said it could not be established why Mr Bennett, who was driving his wife's car, lost control.

Cumbria police sergeant John Skelton said: "It could have been for a number of factors - misjudgement, inappropriate high speed or lack of concentration."

Mr Bennett, 36, of Whitehaven, said he did not have many recollections of the crash, on 9 August 2002, but said he was not overtaking another vehicle and was travelling below the 60mph speed limit.

'Absolute rarity'

Mr Jones, who had been an instructor 24 years, died at the scene despite the efforts of paramedics.

His widow Rosemary, 71, of Whitehaven, said the last time she saw her husband was just before he left for the lesson.

She told the hearing: "It was just like any other normal day."

Witnesses said there was nothing Mrs Vaughan could have done to avoid the accident.

Graham Fryer, chief executive of the Driving Instructors Association, said: "For an instructor to be killed while giving a lesson is an absolute rarity.

"There are no statistics for accidents involving instructors because they are so unusual."