A MAN who died in a road accident stepped off the pavement despite his friend shouting to warn him about an oncoming car, an inquest heard.

Maurice Isherwood died when a Toyota Aygo, driven by Khai Cheong Lee, hit him in Leigh Road, Westhoughton, on September 13 last year at about 9pm.

The 65-year-old later died on September 19 at Salford Royal Hospital from a traumatic brain injury, having also suffered fractured bones in his spine and chest.

Mr Isherwood, who the court heard had problems with mobility and sometimes used a stick, was crossing the road on his way to the Rosehill Tavern pub.

David Blair, a friend of Mr Isherwood’s, was crossing Leigh Road from the pub and saw him standing in Mabel Street.

When he heard a car coming he turned and shouted “Maurice” before seeing Mr Isherwood take one further step into the path of the car.

Coroner Alan Walsh ruled that Mr Isherwood, who leaves his wife, Sandra, and sons Damian and Michael, died as a result of a road traffic collision.

Mr Yee, who lives in Westhoughton, addressed the court through a Cantonese interpreter. He said he was driving to Leigh to a restaurant before going to visit his nephew in Sale.

He said he first saw Mr Isherwood, a retired warehouseman, moments before the collision, saying he saw him running in front of him.

Evidence from Mr Isherwood’s wife Sandra, Mr Blair and PC David Holmes, a collision reconstruction officer, indicated that could not have been the case.

Mr Walsh asked: “Could you have avoided colliding with Mr Isherwood?”

Mr Yee said he “could not stop in time”, before confirming he applied his brakes.

PC Holmes told the court that he calculated the car to have been travelling between 29 and 32mph at the time of impact, while Mr Yee provided a negative breath test.

Mrs Isherwood said her husband had left their home, a five-minute walk away from the Rosehill Tavern, at about 9pm, possibly to meet his niece later.

Mr Walsh said, in summary: “I believe that one fateful step over the white lines very sadly cost Maurice Isherwood his life.

“Some people are lucky and escape and others pay for it in the ultimate manner and lose their life. I’m immensely sorry to the family.”