A window cleaner who plunged to his death narrowly avoided hitting a passer-by as he fell.
Hughie Winfield, of Wolseley Road, Coldean, died in hospital after suffering a fractured skull and bleeding to the brain when he fell about 15ft from a ladder in Western Road, Lewes, in November.
Drivers and passengers who saw the accident stopped to help him at the roadside while they waited for paramedics to arrive.
An inquest into Mr Winfield’s death was told witnesses saw the 51-year-old almost land on a person underneath when he fell.
Mr Winfield, nicknamed the Silver Fox by members of his darts team in Hollingbury, had cleaned windows for many years and was working at a block of flats in Lewes when he fell.
His wife Karen, 52, said there was no explanation as to why he lost his footing.
She said: “The coroner said no one will ever know.
“People who saw it happen said the ladder went sideways with him. He did not jump away from it.
“Hughie was wonderful. The coroner said it was a tragedy – that he was a man who lived life to the full.”
A verdict of accidental death was recorded.
See the latest news headlines from The Argus:
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here