BBC Proms cellist killed mother-of-three when car skidded on icy road
A leading cellist killed a mother-of-three when his car skidded on an icy road the week before Christmas, an inquest has heard.
Adrian Brendel, 48, who has performed at the BBC Proms, crashed into Natalie Mountford and sent her “flying” 30ft through the air after he had swerved to avoid two cars blocking the road ahead. She died at the scene from multiple injuries.
Only moments beforehand, Ms Mountford, 45, had pulled over to help a young woman after her car had skidded into a hedge.
The collision happened near Sturminster Newton, in Dorset, in the early hours of Dec 18 2022.
Mr Brendel, the son of the renowned classical pianist Alfred Brendel, said he had applied the brake as soon as he saw the two cars but was unable to stop his Citroen Berlingo because of the icy conditions.
An inquest into Ms Mountford’s death heard that the police found no evidence of any wrongdoing on Mr Brendel’s part and that the death was a tragic accident.
Mr Brendel said he was “personally devastated and traumatised” by the incident and offered Ms Mountford’s family his sincerest condolences.
In a statement, the family said: “Natalie had just under three minutes to live the final part of her life on arrival. As normal, she spent 100 per cent of that time caring for others – her greatest trait would also be her downfall.”
When PC Nicholas May, of Dorset Police, arrived on the scene, his vehicle also skidded on the ice. He told the coroner it was difficult to come to a stop.
Sergeant Geraint Butler, of the serious collision investigation team, said: “This was an incredibly tragic accident. We have got no evidence to say the manner of driving of Mr Brendel is either dangerous or careless.”
He said Mr Brendel would have been faced with either a difficult chicane created by the other two cars, or going on the inside verge around Ms Mountford’s vehicle.
Brendan Allen, the coroner, ruled that Ms Mountford had died as a result of a road traffic collision.
He said he was “concerned” about the number of collisions there had been on that section of road and would be writing a prevention of future deaths report with actions for Dorset Council and Wessex Water, which had been investigating a leak in a pipe that crossed under the road.
Mr Brendel has performed extensively throughout the UK and abroad as a chamber musician and a soloist, including at the Berlin Philharmonie, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires and in the BBC Proms. He is also a member of the award-winning Nash Ensemble.
