Inquest opens into death of A140 crash victim

An inquest has been opened into the death of a 27-year-old woman, who was killed in a crash on the A140 this summer.

Katerina Kostadinova was sat in the back seat of a silver Volkswagen Golf when it was involved with a collision with a Peugeot Boxer van on the A140 at Stoke Ash, near the junction with Church Lane, on July 6 at around 5am.

Ms Kostadinova – who was from Burgas, Bulgaria, and lived in Ipswich – was pronnounced dead at the scene, while the driver and front seat passenger of the Volkswagen were both taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where they were treated for their injuries.

The driver sustained life-changing injuries, while the passenger sustained serious injuries.

The driver of the van was taken to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital for treatment for serious injuries and was later discharged from hospital.

A crowdfunding campaign – set up to cover the cost of Ms Kostadinova’s funeral and the repatriation of her body to her homeland – has raised £3,546 so far.

In a post on the GoFundMe page, the Kostadinova family said: “We would like to express our thanks to all the kind, good and sympathetic people for the great moral and financial support you have given us for the loss of our girl.

“She will always be 27-years-old with her infectious smile and positivism, loved by many people.

“Thanks to all of you, she will be able to board her last flight to her native land, where she will be buried by her relatives and friends.”

Friday’s inquest was adjourned, with a full hearing scheduled to take place at the end of June 2021.