A verdict of accidental death has been returned on an American tourist who died when her car was hit by a train in mid Wales.

Kathleen Yettman and her husband Christopher from Ohio were trying to track down relatives in Llanbrynmair near Machynlleth when their hire car was struck on an unmanned level crossing.

A jury heard the tourists' car was catapulted 50 yards along the track by the impact of the 60mph-collision with the Lincoln to Aberystwyth passenger train last October.

Mrs Yettman, 44, a front seat passenger, died and her husband, who was driving, was seriously injured.

He later told British transport police he had not seen the warning lights or signs and that the crossing gates were open.

In a statement, Mr Yettman said a house alongside the track prevented him from from seeing to the right and after checking left he crept across.

He said the train suddenly appeared from the right colliding with the car and throwing it into the air.

Train driver Geraint Jones said he sounded a two-tone horn 200 yards from the crossing which was clear but then he saw a blur and there was an enormous bang which threw from his seat.

Crossing supervisor Alun Lloyd told the inquest the Llanbrynmair crossing was a blackspot with the gates being left open more than they were closed.

He said the warning lights were working and on red at the time of the crash. But one of the first police officers on the scene Mike Markham said the light was green when he arrived 30 minutes later.

Villagers say they have complained regularly that the gates are left open despite signs threatening prosecution and they have also complained about the size of the warning lights.