A STUDENT has been cleared of any blame for an accident in which an 89-year-old man died. The victim had stepped into the path of the car in St Albans. An inquest into the death of Mr Sher Mohammed of Granville Road, St Albans, heard that he was deaf and

A STUDENT has been cleared of any blame for an accident in which an 89-year-old man died.

The victim had stepped into the path of the car in St Albans.

An inquest into the death of Mr Sher Mohammed of Granville Road, St Albans, heard that he was deaf and dumb and partially sighted.

He was struck in Hatfield Road close to the junction of Granville Road, on May 11 by a car in which David Cross, aged 22, from Lincolnshire, was driving from Hatfield where he had student digs, to St Albans.

Mr Cross told the inquest that the first he knew that he had hit someone was when he saw something out of the corner of his eye as he left The Crown junction in Hatfield Road heading towards the station.

Mr Cross said: "There was a large bang and then my windscreen shattered. I swerved to the right and saw a gentleman lying in the road through my rear view mirror.."

The first person on the scene was Daniel Miscall who had been walking behind Mr Mohammed. He tried to give first aid as did a passing doctor before the ambulance arrived.

Taxi driver Mohammed Ayub, who was driving behind Mr Cross's car, said he saw Mr Mohammed put one foot out to cross the road before he saw him fly into the air.

No defects were found on Mr Cross's Ford Fiesta car and accident investigator Pc Andrew Peachment said he would not have had enough time to react to prevent the collision.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Coroner Graham Danbury reassured Mr Cross there was nothing anyone could have done to prevent the accident.