A 72-year-old man whose car sped out of a car park, mounted a grass verge and ploughed into the wall of East Surrey Hospital's A&E department lost his footing on the pedals, an inquest heard.

Alexander Noble, who had been to the diabetic clinic, later collapsed and died from a brain haemorrhage caused by a combination of hitting his head on the windscreen and blood-thinning drugs.

Witnesses to the uproar had assumed Mr Noble, who was leaving his appointment in the hospital on October 23 last year, had suffered a heart attack at the wheel, but he was well enough after the crash to say his foot had slipped and he felt fine.

At the inquest in Woking on Wednesday, May 21, Surrey coroner Michael Burgess read out a statement from Sharon Peters, who had been visiting her mother in hospital at around 2.30pm.

She said: "I heard the sound of very high revving. I saw the car mount the kerb and go across the area where the ambulances load and unload.

"I was thinking why doesn't he brake?'."

Collision investigation police confirmed the road was dry and there was nothing wrong with the car.

Asked by the Mr Burgess if Mr Noble, of Caterham, was used to his automatic car, his daughter Jennifer Chinnappa said he had often driven automatic company cars as a chartered accountant.

Mr Noble collapsed after being examined in A&E at around 2.45pm, was unconscious at 5pm, and died the following day.

Verdict: Accidental death.

May 29, 2003 10:00