Man died after he slipped and hit car

Richard Mckinnon Cross had taken both his parents, Ralph George Cross (87) and Hannah Joan Cross (81) out for lunch in Arundel on December 18 last year.

At around 12.30pm they parked near to the Black Rabbit pub. While Richard was helping his mother out of the car his father said he was going to climb a bank and go under a fence at the top.

Before his son could stop him Mr Cross slipped and fell backwards hitting his head on the bumper of the car.

He immediately fell unconscious and his son put him in the recovery position.

While they waited for an ambulance, two women who were nurses came over to help. Mr Cross who lived with his wife in North Lodge, Nytetimber, Pagham Road, Pagham, regained consciousness within five minutes and was taken to St Richards Hospital in Chichester.

After an examination it was found he had bleeding on the brain. He died five days later on December 23.

West Sussex coroner Penelope Schoeifled said: 'This is a sad case in that it appears to be an accidental death, on that basis I will record that as my verdict.'