Football coach Michael Carson dies in car crash on day of sexual abuse trial

A former football youth coach and scout set to go on trial for sexual abuse has died in a car crash.

Michael "Kit" Carson, 75, had pleaded not guilty to abusing 11 boys under the age of 16 between 1978 and 2009.

Carson's trial was set to begin on Monday, where he planned to contest 12 counts of indecent assault and one of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

But he was found dead following a single-vehicle crash on Monday around 9.45am involving a tree.

Carson's trial had been listed to start at Peterborough Crown Court, and on Tuesday the court was told details of his death.

The former coach had worked at Norwich City, Peterborough United and Cambridge United.

Jeremy Benson, prosecuting, said: "The defendant died yesterday morning."He was involved in a road traffic collision at about 9.45am yesterday morning.

"No other vehicles were involved."

Judge Matthew Lowe ruled that the case file be closed.

Carson, of Riverside, Cambridge, had been on bail.

Cambridgeshire Police said in a statement that Carson was driving his red Mazda 3 when it left the road and went into a tree on the A1303 at Bottisham, around seven miles east of Cambridge.

A force spokesman said: "Emergency services attempted to save Mr Carson's life but he was declared dead at the scene a short time later.

"No other vehicle or person was involved in the collision."