A man has died after his car veered off the road and hit a wall late last night.

The 73-year-old driver was travelling along Ashingdon Road in Rochford when his Ford Fiesta left the road at the junction with Rectory Road and crashed into the wall. Emergency services were called out to the accident at 11.20pm yesterday.

The man was taken to Southend Hospital but was certified dead just before midnight.

PC Ray Jeffrey, of Rayleigh police traffic unit, said inquiries were at a very early stage but the man may have suffered a heart attack while at the wheel.

He said: "We are still making inquiries about why his car might have left the road. We will be contacting Southend hospital later today."

Published Thursday December 27, 2001