The man suffered severe head injuries when he was struck by the Mazda 323 automatic in Hamble Close, Pensnett, Dudley, West Midlands, on Sunday.

The victim, who is thought to be from Pensnett, was taken to Russells Hall Hospital where he later died.

Police said the car was being cleaned by a 51-year-old woman, but that it was unclear how it came to hit the man.

Severe shock

A West Midlands Police spokesman said: "For reasons unknown, it reversed and collided with an elderly pedestrian and it knocked him to the ground.

"The car continued backwards for 50 yards across Derwent Close before colliding with a parked Ford Fiesta and a low garden wall."

Police are unsure if the woman was inside the car when the accident happened at about 1100 BST but said the driver's door was open at the time.

The woman, who has not been named and is also believed to be from Pensnett, was treated for severe shock.