A POLICE car had to swerve to avoid a head-on collision with a car travelling at speed the wrong way up the A2 carriageway, an inquest heard.

Shortly after the near miss, driver Ernest Herbert, 83, of Thong Lane, Gravesend, was involved in a four-car pile up and later died of his injuries.

PC David Lee, giving evidence, said the car was travelling towards London on the coast-bound A2: “It was approaching at speed, I swerved to avoid a head-on collision. The car continued without deviating.”

But PC Lee said that as he turned his car round at the Pepper Hill A2 junction, he saw clouds of smoke and dust and cars spinning on the road and knew there had been a collision. The incident, happened at 11.25pm, on Tuesday, December 28, 2004.

Police crash investigators could not explain why Mr Herbert was travelling the wrong way because they found no alcohol or drug traces in his system and were not aware of any medical condition.

West Kent coroner Roger Hatch recorded a verdict of accidental death.