Police were baffled as to the cause of an accident in which an 80-year-old man died, an inquest heard.

Bachelor John Holder, of Burnt House Lane, Woodham Walter, near Maldon, died in Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, on October 2.

On September 29 he had been driving his Skoda car in the village when he was in a collision with another car.

Mr Holder was admitted to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, but a brainscan showed bleeding and he died several days later.

A post mortem examination gave the cause of his death as subdural haemorrhage due to head injury. It was thought he had hit his head on the steering wheel during the collision.

PC Richard Goold, who investigated the accident, said the only explanation was that Mr Holder had suffered some undetectable medical attack.

Essex coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Published Thursday, March 21, 2002