Theodore Wakeman, 60, died on August 27 last year after a collision on the A1065 Raynham Road near his home in Sculthorpe, on the outskirts of Fakenham.

An inquest held at Norfolk Coroner's Court heard Mr Wakeman died at the scene.

Assistant coroner Maeve Sykes said the provisional medical cause of death was multiple injuries sustained in a road traffic collision.

Norfolk Coroner's Court at County Hall in Norwich (Image: Newsquest)

Evidence presented to the court described widespread trauma, including significant blunt force injuries to his chest.

The collision involved a black Renault Clio driven by Michaela Hammond, who was travelling with her partner and their three-month-old son at the time.

In a statement read to the court, Ms Hammond described how she had set off from her home in Fakenham at about 11.30am to visit family in Ipswich.

She said she had been accelerating and had just changed into fifth gear when the collision happened.

“I suddenly saw in front of me a man on a bicycle pedal out from between the queue of traffic to my right,” she said.

“He did not look in my direction. If he had done, he would have seen how close my car was and probably not come out.

“As soon as I saw him, I shouted ‘oh my god, no’ and I braked as hard as I could, holding the steering wheel tightly with both hands.”

Norfolk Coroner's Court at County Hall in Norwich (Image: Mike Page)

She told the inquest the cyclist appeared to realise the danger only moments before impact.

“When my car was very close to the man he then decided to look at my car and froze,” she said.

“To me, it looked like he tried to get off his bike to push it and move out of the way – but by that time it was too late.”

She described how Mr Wakeman struck the front windscreen and was thrown onto the side of the road.

“It’s hard to remember it all as it happened in seconds,” she added. “We are very upset by what happened and I still think about it.”

Ms Hammond and her partner suffered minor injuries in the collision, but their infant son was unharmed.

Witnesses described the severity of the impact. One said Mr Wakeman had been “somersaulted” around 6ft to 7ft into the air, while another recalled hearing the collision from a distance.

Members of the public rushed to help, including two off-duty doctors and a retired police officer, who provided immediate assistance while emergency services were called.

Paramedics and police arrived around 10 minutes later, but despite their efforts Mr Wakeman could not be saved. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The inquest heard there was no evidence of mechanical faults with the vehicle, and weather and road conditions were good at the time.

Ms Sykes concluded that Mr Wakeman died in a road traffic accident.

Norfolk Coroner's Court in Norwich (Image: Denise Bradley)

Fakenham tragedy prompts outcry at 'lethal' road crossing

The tragedy prompted calls from neighbours for improvements to be made to help people cross the stretch of road.

Locals who live near the crossing next to Sculthorpe Eastgate Road have said it has been a danger for years.

With cars hurtling past at 60mph, and grown-out hedge rows which limit visibility, the crossing has been described as “lethal”, and elderly people living nearby said they have not dared cross it for years.

They said there had been near misses in the past, with a Dalmatian hit by a car three years ago, while some say they are now unable to use the crossing due to the dangers it poses.

© Eastern Daily Press