A 92-year-old motorist died from multiple traumatic injuries after his car smashed into a telegraph pole in St Helens, an inquest was told.

But it was unclear whether retired civil servant, Peter Coventry, of Downsview Road, St Helens, had mistakenly pressed the accelerator rather than the brake on his Hyundi car or had suffered a medical episode, causing him to lose control of the vehicle.

Mr Coventry was taken to hospital following the crash on June 4 but died at St Mary's Hospital the same evening.

The pensioner had lived on his own since the death of his wife in 2006 and was described as being 'fiercely independent' by his GP.

He had suffered a fall in March 2018 and was advised by the doctor not to drive, the inquest was told.

A witness to the accident, Archdeacon Peter Sutton, described how he was in Station Road when he heard a loud bang and saw a telegraph pole 'wobble.'

He ran over to the vehicle and saw Mr Coventry inside.

He could not be certain he was wearing a seat belt.

Emergency services including police and ambulance crew attended the accident.

An accident investigation report by police concluded there was nothing mechanically wrong with Mr Coventry's vehicle.

However, police said there were indications Mr Coventry was not wearing his seat belt.

The car had 'significantly accelerated' before colliding with the telegraph pole although it could not be determined what speed the car was travelling.

Isle of Wight coroner, Caroline Sumeray, said Mr Coventry had an 'impeccable' driving record but his GP had concerns about how safe he was behind the wheel.

She also asked police to write to GPs on the Isle of Wight, telling them they could contact the DVLA if they had concerns about a patient's fitness to drive.

She concluded he had died as the result of a road traffic collision.