A builder who died as he crashed his van into a house may have suffered from a heart attack.

Alan Vincent, 52, was driving in Forest View Road, East Grinstead, towards the junction of Dunnings Road at about 7.50am on October 22 last year when he failed to stop at the give way markings.

He shot straight across the road and was killed as he careered into a house.

Mr Vincent, of Stockwell Road, East Grinstead, had a history of chest complaints and took medication but had not suffered cardiac arrest in the past.

An inquest at Haywards Heath Town Hall heard today that the impact was so hard Mr Vincent's chest was crushed and his aorta ruptured, causing his chest cavity to fill with blood. His heart showed signs of coronary disease.

Pathologist Peter Wilkins said he could not tell whether Mr Vincent had become ill and had lost consciousness just before the crash.

Redvers(CORR) Lycett was out running with his dogs and listening to his iPod when he heard the sound of breaking glass and crunching metal and saw a white Citroen van was embedded in the side of a house. He said he had not heard any skidding sound.

Off-duty paramedic David Simmons, who lives nearby, was woken up by a loud bang and went to help Mr Vincent. His neighbour Dave Morgan cut Mr Vincent's seatbelt off but the driver remained unconscious.

Alfred Grange was travelling south in Dunnings Road when he saw the van appear out of the junction in front of him at about 30mph.

He did not see it swerve or brake to try to avoid the collision, the inquest heard.

PC Simon Lane said the van contained building tools which had been pushed forward by the impact onto the back of the driver's seat but he said no fault could be found with the vehicle.

West Sussex Coroner Penelope Schofield recorded a verdict of accidental death.

She said: "The concern that I have about the case is that we do not appear to know exactly what happened immediately before the collision.

"There was no third party involved but we do not know why Mr Vincent did not stop at the junction, continued across the road and straight into a house.

"It is suggested that he became ill and it is highly probable that it led to him being involved in the collision."