A MUM who drowned after she hit standing water and flipped her BMW into a river was rushing to pick up her child from school, an inquest has heard.
Science teacher Emma Fegan, 39, crashed her car on a country lane along the River Trent near Hoveringham, Nottinghamshire on September 27, 2019.
Two workmen found the car upside down in the river about 3.45pm and frantically called 999.
Her body was pulled from the water and desperate attempts to resuscitate the mother-of-two were unsuccessful.
An inquest into her death heard that Ms Fegan called her child's school to say she was running late before driving in "atrocious" weather from her home in Hoveringham.
Ms Fegan had excess alcohol in her body but the coroner said that may have been caused by "treatments administered" once she was taken to the Queen's Medical Centre hospital in Nottingham.
School bus driver Tomasz Branski said he had to swerve out of the way to avoid hitting Ms Fegan's car as she drove past him, and that her driving was "definitely too fast".
He said there was often a "problem" on the lane with knee-deep floods developing during heavy rain.
The inquest heard there was no evidence to say how fast Ms Fegan's car was going at the time she hit the standing water.
One of the first people at the scene of the crash said they hoped the driver was "caught in an air bubble" and had survived.
Joanne Connors, who lives near the river, told the inquest that there was "quite severe" flooding on the road where Ms Fegan died.
"It's not a busy road but it's quite seasonal. If the weather is good everybody drove there. The weather was atrocious that day," she said.
Ms Fegan was a much-loved teacher at The Dukeries Academy in New Ollerton, Newark for 17 years.
After her death, a student described her as "uplifting" in an emotional tribute.
"I hope her family find comfort that she has shaped the minds of many kids turning into young adults, and with that she has touched the hearts of so many," the student wrote.
Principal Claire Leitheiser said Ms Fegan would be "sorely missed".
"She was a teacher who was well-respected by staff and students alike, and she was instrumental in supporting our young people in achieving their ambitions for the future," she said.
Ms Fegan's death was ruled as drowning caused by a "single vehicle road traffic accident".
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