TRAGIC mum Rebecca Kingsland and her two youngest children all died when she veered her Landrover into the path of a 40 tonne lorry while she was 'distracted' by the youngsters in the back seat, a coroner ruled.

The Landrover Freelander being driven by the 26-year-old mum-of-four on June 27 last year was left "barely recognisable" after the horrific smash on the B4066 near Sharpness Docks.

The most logical explanation was that the young mother had been distracted by the young children in the back of the car and she had turned round moments before the tragedy, the Gloucestershire coroner Alan Crickmore said.

Rebecca, of Lower Berrycroft, Berkeley, daughter Alanah, two, and baby son Logan, who was not quite seven months old, were all pronounced dead at the scene.

Hours earlier she had told a neighbour tearfully that she had had "enough" and was struggling to cope with the children.

The same neighbour saw her on the morning of the crash walk up to the vehicle slowly and sit there for some time before driving off.

Lorry driver Peter Rudd told the inquest he was travelling on the B4066 towards the A38 in good weather conditions.

He said he saw a vehicle coming in the opposite direction which then crossed the central white line without warning and collided with the front of his vehicle.

"I had no time to react," said the driver, who was airlifted to hospital with minor injuries.

No mechanical defects which could have contributed to the crash were found on either vehicle, the inquest was told.

Medical records revealed that Rebecca had gone to the doctor in May 2006 with anxiety and depression, for which she was reviewed in June 2006.

In September and October she was reviewed again but there was no note of any similar complaints from then onwards.

Tatum Blaze, who lived in the flat above Rebecca's for three weeks before the crash, said on the evening before the accident that Rebecca had said she had had enough and was struggling to cope with the children.

On Friday morning, June 27, Ms Blaze said she could hear the children screaming for three hours beginning at 7am and later saw Becky walk very slowly to her Freelander and get into the driver's seat.

PC Malcolm Shute, collision investigator, who attended the scene, said his investigations revealed that the Freelander had veered off at an angle into the path of the lorry and that driver error should be considered.

He said the most logical explanation was that Ms Kingsland had been distracted by the two children at the back of the car.

Gloucestershire coroner Alan Crickmore, said that he would record accidental death verdicts on both children and Rebecca.

He said there was no evidence of a suicidal intent in Rebecca's mind. He said he felt that PC Shute was much more likely to be nearer the mark.