A WOMAN sent a text message to her mum shortly before losing control of her car, an inquest was told.

Jamie-Lee Martin, 25, of Harrisons Wharf, Purfleet, and her daughter Bobby-Lee, seven, were involved in a road accident at around 3.40pm on Christmas Day 2006.

Jamie-Lee died of severe intra-abdominal haemorrhage and a ruptured major abdominal vessel at Basildon Hospital the same day.

Her daughter survived.

At Chelmsford Coroner's Court yesterday (Thursday) it emerged how Jamie-Lee had "traces" of cocaine and cannabis in her system at the time of the crash.

Mum Lyn Martin, of Arun, East Tilbury, told the court how she received the text message from Jamie-Lee hours after it had been sent.

She said: "My husband and I were flying out to Egypt on Boxing Day and I had a text from Jamie-Lee which I got in our hotel room at around 5.15pm because the signal had been bad in the hotel.

"It had been sent at 3.40pm and said: "Thank you for the Christmas presents have a nice holiday'."

She also told the court of how Bobby-Lee had told them how at the time of the accident her mum had been texting and the phone fell on the floor.

Mrs Martin believes that Jamie-Lee lost control because of using her phone to send the text message.

She said: "The little girl (Bobby-Lee) said mummy was playing with the phone."

Jamie-Lee was driving her Renault Clio along the Tilbury Dock Approach Road when she lost control of the vehicle and hit a tree.

The mother and daughter had just had Christmas dinner at her parents' house.

There were no eye-witnesses but motorist Paul Coulson was first on the scene and heroically pulled Bobby-Lee from the flaming wreckage.

Mr Coulson, 39, of Medlar Road, Grays, received a Chief Constable's Commendation for Bravery for his efforts on the day.

He said: "As I approached I saw clouds of black smoke coming from the trees.

"The flames were coming from the bonnet area and over the roof. Another car stopped behind mine and that's when I heard the young girl screaming.

"The two ladies from the car behind me called the emergency services.

"Jamie-Lee was lying on the floor next to the car and the young girl was in the driver's seat.

"I grabbed hold of her and passed her to safety. I couldn't get close to Jamie-Lee so I dragged her away by her ankles.

"I could hear bangs and tyres bursting."

PC Kevin Carter from Essex Police Traffic Investigation Unit, said: "The levels of cocaine suggest she was in a state of intoxication.

"But the weight of probability suggests the mobile phone use is far more likely to have caused the crash."

Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray recorded a verdict of death as a result of an accident.