A RETIRED farmer died in hospital from natural causes just hours after he was involved in a crash with a rubbish truck, an inquest has heard.

Aubrey Barber, of Hadleigh Road, Elmsett, died at Ipswich Hospital on November 8.

Deputy coroner for Suffolk Kevin McCarthy said 88-year-old Mr Barber was taken to the Heath Road hospital by ambulance and was admitted following a crash on the A1071, near the Lady Lane Industrial Estate in Hadleigh on the same day.

The accident involved Mr Barber’s Vauxhall Corsa and a refuse truck.

A statement read by Mr McCarthy from Julian Pilgrim, a passenger in the dustcart, said: “All of a sudden and without any warning the Corsa started to turn right, right in front of us.

“We were about 30ft away from the Corsa when it appeared to pull out really slowly at no more than around 15mph.

“We braked hard but the front of our vehicle collided into the back of the Corsa.”

The inquest heard Mr Barber’s widow Ellen, who was in the car with her husband at the time, told police officers he had complained of feeling unwell.

A post-mortem examination revealed a 1cm tear in Mr Barber’s aorta with an associated blood clot and high blood pressure.

Mr McCarthy said: “The collision was not the ultimate cause of death. Given the history, it looks like the road traffic accident has contributed to the rupture of the aorta which was already weakened.”

Mr McCarthy recorded a verdict of death by natural causes.