A MOTORIST did all he could to avoid a retired engineer who died in a road accident in Cheshunt, an inquest heard.

Edward Melton, of Davison Drive, Cheshunt, died after he was knocked down while walking his dog in Lieutenant Ellis Way at 2am on December 1.

On Monday the Hornsey Coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.

When he was hit, the court heard, the 79-year-old was standing in the middle of the nearside lane leaning over his pet poodle.

Smithfield market trader Stephen Welch, of Newgate Street Road, Goffs Oak, told how he hit Mr Melton as he drove to work.

He said: "I swerved sharply to the left. I knew I would hit the dog but I thought I might miss the man."

But after the car had spun round and skidded to a halt he found Mr Melton lying on the side of the road. He was still wearing his carpet slippers.

Mr Welch covered the pensioner with a car blanket and called an ambulance on his mobile phone.

But Mr Melton was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at Chase Farm Hospital.

His stepdaughter, Janet Anderson, told the court he had been physically fit but had suffered from Alzheimer's disease for about five years.

She said she could only think he was confused about the time, and added that her stepfather had got lost before, once walking all the way to Tottenham.

"When he got lost he would just continue ambling along with his dog," she added.

Pathologist Dr Vesna Djurovic gave the cause of death as multiple injuries consistent with a road traffic accident.

And coroner Dr William Dolman said he was satisfied there was no question of dangerous driving.

He said: "The driver reacted well in the circumstances.

"It would have been almost impossible for Superman to have avoided impact in a situation like this."

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