THE death of an Alzheimer’s sufferer who was killed after being struck by a lorry on the A19 was accidental, and inquest was told.

William Underwood, known as Bill, died on Monday, September 17 last year aged 86 after he had wandered off from his home in Thirsk and found his way to the southbound carriageway of the A19 near the junction for the town.

The inquest at Northallerton County Hall heard that Mr Underwood, who would have celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary with devoted wife Dorothy today (Thursday, March 28), was steadily losing his battle with dementia and his family were considering moving him into a specialist home.

Coroner Richard Watson said Mrs Underwood deserved recognition for the care she had given her husband, despite fighting cancer and undergoing frequent hospital appointments.

On the day he died, Mr Underwood, a former engineer, was walking along the edge of the busy dual carriageway and at around 8.40pm he was hit by a large B&Q lorry.

The driver, Gary Griffin, said he did not see Mr Underwood but stopped when he “felt a thud”.

But PC Stuart Langford told the inquest that after studying stopping distances it appeared that Mr Griffin must have seen Mr Underwood prior to hitting him because of the way he applied hard pressure to the brakes before impact.

Mr Griffin was also found to have been talking on a hands-free mobile phone just minutes before the accident, and had been travelling at 55mph despite his type of lorry having to stick to 50mph.

However Mr Watson ruled that a slightly slower speed, or a faster reaction time, would not have made a difference, and gave a verdict of accidental death.

Speaking after the inquest, Mr Underwood’s daughter Dianne Nicholson, who also lives in Thirsk, said he had been a wonderful father.

“It would have been my parents’ 60th wedding anniversary yesterday – they were always supportive of each other and mum cared for him until the end.

“He loved to play cricket and football, and during a short time as an engineer in the RAF he played for the officers’ team, despite not being the correct rank.”

Mr Underwood leaves wife Dorothy, children Dianne, Bob, David and Stephen, and six grandchildren.