THE family of a much-loved 999 control room chief who died in a road crash have told of their approval of a decision not to prosecute the driver involved.

Teesside assistant coroner Malcolm Donnelly, who heard the inquest into the death of Durham woman Joan Coulson, also agreed with the CPS decision.

The inquest at Teesside Magistrates Court heard that Miss Coulson, BEM, who was 86, was a passenger in a Ford KA which was in a head-on crash with a Mitsubishi car in July last year.

Miss Connolly, of New Elvet in Durham, died as a result of multiple injuries following the crash at the junction where the A179 and B1280 meet the A19 turn off near Sheraton, North-West of Hartlepool.

The inquest heard that Miss Coulson, who was an awarded her British Empire Medal for her services in the control room of County Durham and Darlington’s Fire and Rescue Service, had been driven by an 84-year-old male friend who had made a right-hand turn into the Mitsubishi.

Reading through a police report, Mr Donnelly, who recorded a verdict of accidental death, noted there was sunshine which may have affected the driver’s judgement as he failed to realise the proximity of the other car.

He said: “The driver accepts he was responsible. I note the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has decided it was not in the public interest to prosecute following a full investigation. The man was elderly, confused and there were other circumstances. I endorse that it was not in the public interest to prosecute.”

After the inquest Miss Coulson’s nephew, Nicholas Pinkerton, explained the CPS had spoken to the family and they had agreed there should not be a prosecution.

He said: “The CPS asked us but he was a life-long friend and took her shopping for years. It was a mistake.”

He added: “Joan loved Durham Cathedral and was involved with the cathedral for years. She saved many lives in her role at the control centre. We are very proud of her.”

Mr Pinkerson’s wife, Dawn, added: “She was a lovely, strong-minded woman and very good at decision making. You could understand why she was so well valued.”

Miss Coulson was so well regarded she was given a funeral in Durham Cathedral and the Fire Brigade provided a guard of honour.

From the control room she led the emergency services’ response to many incidents, including the 1969 Crawleyside Bank bus crash, which claimed 20 lives, and an oil fire at ICI, on Teesside. She retired from the fire service in 1988 and became a volunteer steward at Durham Cathedral. Unmarried, Miss Coulson, left a sister. She was born near Stanley in County Durham in 1927 and, unusually for the time, qualified for university but left to look after her father who was injured in a pit accident.