Bright sunlight may have been partly to blame for the death of a Lancashire pensioner killed crossing road

A Lancashire pensioner who was killed crossing a road probably could not have been seen by motorists because of the sun, an inquest heard.

Walter Nightingale, aged 86, was slowly crossing King Street in Blackburn with his wheeled walking aid. He was struck by a car and later died in Royal Preston Hospital of his injuries.

Preston Coroner's Court was told that the collision happened on November 8, 2025. The cause of death was head injuries.

Accident investigator PC Antony Gray told the inquest that the carriageway was about four metres wide at the point of the collision, road conditions were dry and the sun was particularly low in the sky. It would have been shining directly into the eyes of the driver involved.

CCTV showed Mr Nightingale, of Arthur Way, Blackburn, crossing the road and then stopping and hesitating on the second carriageway.

He said it appeared he was "anticipating gaps" in the traffic. When he moved he was struck by a car.

PC Gray said witnesses spoke of how low the sun was at the time. There was no indication that any vehicles were travelling above the speed limit.

PC Gray said that when the pensioner was in the middle of the road he would have been in the shadow to oncoming drivers. The driver who struck him would have had no time to react. He stopped almost immediately after the collision.

Assistant coroner Richard Taylor said there was a combination of factors involved. The sun was very bright, Mr Nightingale was in the shadow and slowly pushing his "wheeler" across the road. One car could be seen going round him and then he was struck.

Mr Taylor said there was a small amount of alcohol in Mr Nightingale's system and maybe that gave him confidence.

He expressed his condolences to Mr Nightingale's family and recorded a conclusion that the pensioner died as a result of a road traffic collision.