Much loved Lancashire pensioner had suffered a "medical episode" behind the wheel and later died in hospital

A coroner has concluded that 84-year-old Anthony Alderton who died after crashing his car into an industrial building probably suffered a "medical episode" at around the time of the accident.

An inquest at County Hall, Preston, heard that Mr Alderton of Pilling, may have pressed the accelerator rather than the brake before he crashed.

He had crashed his car into a building in an industrial yard close to Taylor's Lane and Lancaster Lane, Pilling, in December 2024.

He told a witness his brakes had failed.But a witness said that when he found Mr Alderton sitting in the car he was pressing the accelerator and not the brake.

He sadly died in January 2025 in Royal Preston Hospital after being transferred from Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

Senior coroner Chris Long held an inquest at County Hall, Preston.

Dr Jonathan Argall, the consultant on duty at Blackpool Victoria Hospital when Mr Alderton was brought in, was asked by the coroner whether it was possible that Mr Alderton had suffered a "medical event" before the crash.

Dr Argall said: "It remains uncertain."

The inquest was told that Mr Alderton suffered a heart attack shortly after admission.

There were also suspicions that he may have suffered a stroke. Dr Argall said the immediate priority in Blackpool was to restart Mr Alderton's heart. There were also concerns that he had internal injuries.

It was later discovered after a CT scan that Mr Alderton had a ruptured spleen and rib fractures. So he was transferred to the Royal Preston Hospital, a specialist trauma unit.

Dr Argall said he had "no concerns" about the care Mr Alderton received at Blackpool.

Dr Catherine Roberts, a consultant at Royal Preston Hospital, said the cause of death was multiple traumatic injuries.

Mr Alderton was sedated and placed on a ventilator but he gradually became weaker and died on January 9. She said the pensioner had been unlikely to survive owing to his injuries, his age and his frailty.

Asked whether he may have suffered a "medical event" prior to the crash, she said it was impossible to rule it out.

It had been suggested that Mr Alderton should have been taken initially to Royal Preston rather than Blackpool as it was a trauma unit. But Mr Long said the longer travel time to Preston would have meant Mr Alderton would have suffered a heart attack in the ambulance.

Mr Long recorded a conclusion that Mr Alderton died as a result of a road traffic collision.

He said he felt that the pensioner suffered a medical episode "around the time of the RTC".

Mr Long said he could find no fault in the hospital treatment Mr Alderton received apart from a delay in receiving CT scan results, but he found it unlikely that the outcome would have been any different.