The exact cause of the accident that killed a loving mum and left her young daughter critically injured will probably never be known, a coroner's inquest has heard.

Chloe Lloyd, a 28-year-old barber of Westerman Way, Wareham, was pronounced dead at the scene after her Vauxhall Astra left the carriageway, struck a tree and landed in a ditch.

Her eight-year-old daughter, Lexi, was seriously injured, but following emergency hospital treatment continues to recover from her injuries under the care of her grandparents.

Coroner Rachael Griffin, presiding over an inquest hearing at Dorset Coroner's Court, Bournemouth Town Hall, said the crash took place on the westbound carriageway of the Upton bypass on January 3.

Miss Lloyd, who was driving home from her parents' home in Poole – after enjoying the day out with her mum and daughter in Poole town centre – was actually on the phone with her boyfriend when the accident happened.

Speaking via hands-free, which was later confirmed by investigating officers, she'd made a brief 30 second call when the tragedy unfolded.

Ms Griffin, reading from a statement issued by Miss Lloyd's boyfriend, Domenico Guglielmucci, said: "Chloe said words to the effect of 'how are you, and you sound tired?' He replied he was fine and asked her if she was driving back from her mum's

"At which point he heard a scream from Chloe and then other distorted sounds.

"Then it went quiet, with the only sound the indicators."

After waiting for Miss Lloyd to call back, he tried her again, sent her a couple of messages, then contacted her parents.

A statement from Miss Lloyd's mother, Emma Lloyd, was also read in court.

In this she said that after their day out the three of them returned home for a meal with Miss Lloyd's father, Martyn.

"After the meal Chloe and her father were messing about and joking with one another, as they usually did," said her mum. "She was happy and content and making plans for the future."

Miss Lloyd set off to drive home around 8.30pm – that was the last time they saw their daughter alive.

Around fifteen minutes later they were called by her worried boyfriend who asked them to check the route she would have taken to come home.

During the short drive they came upon the accident.

Miss Lloyd, who held a driving licence for 11 years and had no endorsements, died at the scene of the accident from multiple injures, the inquest heard.

Subsequent tests showed she had no alcohol nor drugs in her system, nor any underlying health condition.

A full police investigation confirmed the car she was driving had no mechanical defects and that all four tyres were in a serviceable condition.

Officers also found Miss Lloyd's mobile phone in her handbag inside the car, connected to her hands-free system via Bluetooth.

Meanwhile, witness statements from other drivers said no other vehicles were involved and that Miss Lloyd's car – which was not travelling at excessive speed – just seemed to lose control, spinning then careering off the carriageway and colliding with a tree.

Road conditions were good and police found no evidence of any object in the carriageway or even any animal in or by the side of the road.

Police also confirmed Lexi was found located in a child seat which was appropriate for her age, restrained by her correctly secured seatbelt.

Concluding the inquest, Ms Griffin said: "I'm satisfied from all the evidence before me that the cause of her death is as the result of injuries that Miss Lloyd sustained in a road traffic collision.

"Following a thorough investigation by Dorset Police they did not find any reason why Miss Floyd's vehicle left the carriageway that day.

"She was not driving at excessive speed.

"There is no physical evidence to account for why her vehicle left the carriageway that day.

"I know that Chloe was on the phone, but it is clear she was acting within the law and using a hands-free device to make that call.

"That phone call was very short, her phone was found within her bag – so there was no evidence to suggest she had handled that telephone to make a call.

"On that phone call she did not appear distracted, there's no evidence from her partner on that phone call that her daughter in the car made any noise or any sound that distracted her. I do not believe she was distracted by her daughter at all.

"There was no indication to me, because she was on the phone at the time of her death, that she fell asleep, which caused her vehicle to leave the road.

"Sadly the only person who may be able to assist me as to why that vehicle left that road that day would be Miss Lloyd herself – and tragically, she is not here to tell me that."