Accident close to fatal in church area (7)
I believe the answer is:
chancel
'church area' is the definition.
'chancel' can be an answer for 'area' (chancel is a kind of area). I'm not sure about the 'church' bit.
'accident close to fatal' is the wordplay.
'accident' becomes 'chance' (I've seen this in other clues).
'close to' suggests the final letters (the 'close' to the word).
The final letter of 'fatal' is 'l'.
'chance'+'l'='CHANCEL'
'in' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for chancel that I've seen before include "what's behind the screen" , "Where to see choir" , "screened-off area" , "where choir sits" , "Area around the altar of a church" .)