A TODDLER died the day before his third birthday after suffering severe head injuries in car accident, an inquest was told yesterday.

Joseph Poole, was a passenger in his parents' car when it was involved in a collision in Allendale Road, Ormesby, Middlesbrough, on October 25 last year.

The youngster died a week later in James Cook University Hospital on November 1 as a result of a fractured skull and cerebral damage.

Joseph's mother, Emma, told the hearing at Teesside Coroner's Court that the family was returning from an afternoon at Stewart Park when they decided to call at the Allendale Road shopping centre.

There was a collision between the family's Ford Escort car and a Vauxhall Cavalier.

Ms Poole said: "I can remember thinking 'God it's not slowing down' and then bang - it was like slow motion.

"I turned round and saw Joe - he had pieces of glass stuck to his head. I started talking to him, telling him to wake up but I was unable to get any response from him."

Paramedics took the boy to hospital but he died a week later after his life-support machine was switched off.

Assistant Deputy Teesside Coroner Tony Eastwood said: "On November 1, it was decided to remove medical treatment and Joseph died peacefully in his mother's arms at around 6pm."

Joseph's four-year-old sister, Lilly, suffered a broken nose, while Ms Poole had bruising to her leg and Joseph's father Craig McGoldrick, who was driving the family's Ford Escort, was uninjured.

After studying security camera footage, specialist police crash investigators estimated the Cavalier was travelling at just over 30mph when the accident happened.

PC Stephen Garner said: "The Cavalier could have been travelling at more than 30mph, but due to the lack of supporting evidence I am unable to say by how much."

He added: "The Escort driver pulled across the path of the Cavalier leaving the driver little or no time to react."

Mr Eastwood recorded the death as a result of an accident, saying: "It was clearly a combination of driver misjudgement, speed and wet conditions."