A mother and her pregnant daughter drowned after an horrific crash left their car upside down in a water-filled ditch, a coroner has said.
Jennifer Bunyan, 24, her unborn baby girl Erin Chatten, and her mother Marion Bunyan, 54, were all killed after Jennifer’s silver Nissan Qashqai left the road in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire and careered into a ditch on the morning of June 7.
Opening an inquest into the mother, daughter and unborn child, senior coroner David Heming said the crash had ended in ‘utter catastrophe’.
Jennifer Bunyan, pictured with her son Oliver, died after her Nissan Qashqai crashed into a ditch in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire on June 7. Jennifer was pregnant with her unborn daughter, Erin Chatten, who died as a result of the accident
The inquests into three generation of a family were all opened by Mr Heming at Lawrence Court, Huntingdon today.
The two women died after the car they were both travelling in left the road and rested upside down in a ditch.
At about 11.30am on Sunday June 7, the silver Nissan Qashqai was travelling southbound through Ramsey, in Cambridgeshire, when the vehicle left the road and careered into a water filled ditch.
Emergency services attended but the driver, Jennifer Bunyan, 24, who was pregnant at the time, and passenger Marion Bunyan, 54, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Opening the inquest this afternoon, Mr Heming spoke about the details of the accident and then went on to address the provisional cause of death of Marion Bunyan, 54, from Little Paxton.
Mother and grandmother Marion Bunyan, 54, was pronounced dead at the scene
He said: ‘In terms of the provisional cause of death at this stage, a post-mortem and CT scan report for Marion indicates provisionally the cause of death was drowning.’
However, the coroner did stress this was ‘very much a provisional cause of death.’
Mr Heming then went on to speak about Marion’s daughter Jennifer, 24, who was driving the car. He said: ‘So far as Jennifer Bunyan is concerned, on June 11 2020, a post-mortem examination took place at Addenbrooke’s and the results of that are awaited.
‘I would hope those results will be forthcoming in the next four to eight weeks.’
At the time of the accident Jennifer was pregnant with her fiancé David Chatten and tragically as a result of the crash, Erin, their unborn baby girl also died.
‘Erin Chatten was 30 weeks gestation and the death of her mother led to her death also,’ the court heard.
At the inquest opening Mr Heming also shared his condolences and sympathy with the families over the ‘tragic deaths’ of their loved ones.
He added: ‘This was an utter catastrophe. ‘There are no words I can express that will alleviate the devastating loss for both Mr Chatten and Mr Bunyan.
‘Before closing I would like to express my gratitude to the pathology and mortuary staff at Addenbrooke’s and the bereavement midwife and the family liaison officers.
‘I would like to comment on their utter professionalism in dealing with this matter and the continuing enormous support provided to the relatives.’
The silver Nissan Qashqai was travelling southbound along Puddock Road, Ramsey, when the vehicle left the road and careered into a water filled ditch
In a tribute Paul Bunyan, husband of Marion and father of Jennifer, said: ‘Marion was my wife of 30 years and a mother of three.
‘She worked as a teaching assistant in the special educational needs department of Longsands College, where she was well liked and respected.
‘She loved reading, gardening, cookery and travel. She leaves behind myself, her two other children and a grandchild – who love her and miss her terribly.
‘My daughter Jennifer worked as a school librarian until becoming a full-time mother to Oliver, now nearly three. She leaves behind her fiancé David, her son, and a family who love her and miss her terribly.’
The pre-inquest review hearing into the deaths has been adjourned to be held at 10am on August 21.