A COUNTY Durham woman killed in a fatal collision has been named as Christine Nicholson.

The 51-year-old from Trimdon Village died yesterday morning when the silver Ford Fiesta Zetec she was driving collided with a coal wagon on the A177 between Sedgefield and Stockton.

Three Cleveland Fire Brigade crews battled to rescue the lorry driver who was trapped for an hour before being flown by the Great North Air Ambulance Service to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said he remained in hospital where he is being treated for severe leg injuries.

A tribute given by Mrs Nicholson’s family read: “Christine was an infectious person who lived life to the full. She was the life and soul of the community and a very sociable person. She was an active individual who would take part in many activities within the community and at work at Clipper, located in Wynyard.”

“She endorsed everything positive in life and will be sorely missed by everyone who knew her.”

Any witnesses to the collision which happened at about 10.55am at Thorpe Larches are asked to contact PC Neil Bennett from the Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit on the non-emergency 101 number, quoting reference number 187676.