The remarkable life of the former head of Sotheby's in America was brought to a tragic end by an articulated lorry as he tried to cross the road in a market town near his Cotswolds estate, an inquest heard yesterday.

Eton and Oxford educated Peregrine Pollen, 89, stepped out onto a Pelican crossing in the High Street, Moreton-in-Marsh, just as the traffic lights had turned green and the truck began to move forward.

Mr Pollen, who walked with a stick and had mobility difficulties, was unable to get out of the way and the truck ran over him, killing him instantly, the Gloucester inquest was told.

The collision happened on February 18 last year and shocked many people who witnessed it while attending a busy market day in the High Street, the inquest heard.

Assistant Gloucestershire Coroner Roland Wooderson recorded a conclusion of accidental death on Mr Pollen, of Norton Hall, Mickleton, nr Chipping Campden, Glos.

Mr Pollen had led a remarkable life, working as a Latin teacher, an organist in Australia, a warehouse worker in Los Angeles, a gasoline attendant, a pantry boy on an ocean liner, aluminium worker in British Columbia, psychiatric hospital attendant, soldier, and aide-de-camp to the Governor of Kenya.

A trustee of Westonbirt Arboretum, Pollen had also been praised for planting more than 6,000 trees on his estate.

At yesterday's inquest a statement from Pc Kurt Ravenhill said he was called to Moreton in Marsh town centre at 2pm on February 18 last year.

The officer was able to identify Mr Pollen at the scene after finding his driving licence in his wallet.

A post mortem found that Mr Pollen had not been drinking and the only drugs in his system were prescribed blood pressure medication and pain killers.

He died from massive trauma to the head, chest, limbs, pelvis and abdomen, the report said.

Ambulance paramedic Tom Oldbury-Churchwood said he attended the scene at 1.45pm and found that Mr Pollen was already dead when he arrived.

Gloucestershire Police collision investigator Pc Gemma Carman said "It was market day and there were many pedestrians in the vicinity.

"There is a pelican crossing on the main road and it was the scene of the collision, on the Leamington Spa-bound side of the carriageway.

"The traffic lights and the sound signals at the crossing were working correctly. There was no defect in the carriageway or the crossing.

"He had entered from the nearside kerb, attempting to cross the road, and it appeared he was rushing and stepped into the road knowing that the lights were changing for vehicles to move on."

She said it was a dull day and Mr Pollen was wearing dark clothing which would have added to the problems of seeing him at the roadside.

"It is likely that he stepped into the road as the truck began to move off or while it was already moving," she stated. "Once moving off, the driver would likely have been focused on the road ahead and not anticipating pedestrians stepping into the road. The driver was spoken to and said he had checked before moving off.

"The tachometer in his cab showed no evidence of any driving violations. His mobile phone was examined and there was no evidence of it being used at the time of the collision.

"The general agreement of a vast number of witnesses is that if Mr Pollen had used the crossing correctly the collision would not have occurred.

"The family say that, due to his condition, once he was in the path of the vehicle he would have been unable to step back out of the path of the truck. He was also unable to move quickly.

"There would have been little opportunity for the driver to see or react to him and no opportunity for the driver to avoid him."