A well-known and respected Lowestoft businessman died after the car he was driving veered into the path of a lorry, an inquest has heard.

Denis Maher, 53, was killed when his green Ford Fiesta was involved in a collision with the large goods vehicle on the A12 at Wangford, near Southwold, on June 18 last year.

An inquest into his death at Lowestoft Coroner's Court yesterday (Tuesday) heard how the company director suffered multiple injuries in the 'tragic' collision.

Mr Maher, of Monarch Way, Carlton Colville was the managing director of SSD Training Services Ltd, which specialises in security, licensing and civil enforcement training.

Paying tribute after his death, his family said Mr Maher was 'well respected throughout Suffolk for his pioneering and ground-breaking development of training for door supervisors and public safety.'

A statement read out by assistant coroner for Suffolk, Nigel Parsley, from Mr Maher's brother, Peter, added that Denis was a 'proud' father, brother and grandfather, who was 'well known in the town as a result of his business.'

A post-mortem examination found that the cause of death was 'multiple injuries in keeping with trauma sustained in a road traffic collision.'

The driver of the DAF heavy goods lorry, Douglas Hamilton, was taken to the James Paget University Hospital, in Gorleston, for treatment after suffering broken ribs, whiplash and an injured knee in the two-vehicle crash.

His statement said: 'I just could not avoid him.'

In conclusion, Mr Parsley said there was 'no evidence to suggest that this is nothing other than a tragic road traffic collision.'

He said: 'It's clear to me that for an unknown reason, Denis Maher's car veered across the road – there is no explanation for it. It is one of those tragic occurrences; we will never know why the vehicle was not in the correct lane.'