A PENSIONER died suddenly at the wheel of his car moments before it left the road and smashed into a bollard, police confirmed yesterday.
A post-mortem examination on Abraham Sewell, of Barn-ard Castle, County Durham, confirmed that the 85-year-old died from natural causes and not injuries sustained during the accident.
Police believe Mr Sewell suffered a heart attack or stroke seconds before turning from Horsemarket onto Galgate, in the town centre, at 10.45pm on Tuesday night.
Instead of making the turn, Mr Sewell's Vauxhall Nova mounted the curb and ploughed into a metal bollard, dislodging it from the ground.
Mr Sewell was confirmed dead at the scene by a local doctor. A spokesman for Durham Police said: "We can now confirm that Mr Sewell died from natural causes, but we are still unsure what the exact cause of death was.
"It appears that he died very suddenly, even before his car collided with the bollard."
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