A retired pub owner was killed on a busy A-road when an oncoming vehicle hit his car head on, an inquest heard.

Peter Dowsett sustained fatal injuries in a two-car smash on the A2 Jubilee Way in Dover that saw three more people seriously injured.

An inquest into the crash heard the 74-year-old former publican from Folkestone had been travelling towards Dover on the morning of Wednesday, November 18.

While travelling southbound, his black VW Golf was involved in a crash with an oncoming purple Audi at around 9.42am.

The coroner’s court at County Hall in Maidstone heard on Friday (December 1) that the Audi travelled across the carriageway and collided headfirst with the Golf.

Emergency services were called, but despite the efforts of paramedics Mr Dowsett as declared dead at the scene.

The road was closed in both directions to allow for crash investigation work to take place.

A post-mortem examination stated Mr Dowsett’s cause of death was blunt force trauma injuries to his torso and lower limbs.

Area coroner Katrina Hepburn told the court that the driver of the Audi remains in hospital in a critical condition.

A police spokesman confirmed all three other people taken to hospital following the crash remain there.

Kent Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) is carrying out enquiries into the incident and are urging anyone who saw what happened or who has relevant dashcam footage to get in touch.

Footage can be submitted here.

Alternatively, anyone with information should call the SCIU appeal line on 01622 798538, or email sciu.td@kent.pnn.police.uk, quoting reference RY/SS/123/23.

The inquest into Mr Dowsett’s death is expected to resume next year.