AN 83-year-old man thrown from his car in a crash suffered fatal injuries yards from his Duffield home.

William Brownlee had gone out to pick up a newspaper when the accident happened, in Broadway, at 4.30pm on Tuesday.

The pensioner was taken to Royal Derby Hospital, where he died of his injuries.

Neighbours yesterday spoke of their shock after the accident, which happened near the junction with New Zealand Lane.

Some said they had seen several crashes on the road over the years.

John White, 73, of Broadway, said: "I've seen other accidents here, although nothing of this nature.

"There were two ambulances, two fire engines and six police cars at the scene.

"One car was embedded in a tree I'd planted there 20 or so years ago.

"There was a man lying on the ground and lots of people about."

Stretches of both roads were closed for more than four hours after the accident – involving a Honda Jazz and a Volkswagen Passat – while police examined the scene.

Firefighters were needed to make both vehicles safe, before using special kits to clear oil from the road surface.

Pete Wibberley, 82, of Broadway, said: "My wife heard a crash and rang me to say there had been an accident.

"It's quite a busy road and the junction sees drivers go uphill and from a minor road to a major road, so you have to be careful."

Another woman said: "My son heard the bang and went straight to the window to see what was going on.

"There was an elderly gentleman on the floor and quite a few people at the scene.

"The road can get very busy, particularly in the mornings and afternoons when parents are taking their children to school.

"It's very difficult to see when coming out of that junction, particularly if you're heading in the direction of Derby."

Another resident said: "They closed the road for quite a while. I saw a lot of police and one of the cars that crashed."

Members of Mr Brownlee's family said they were too upset to comment at this time but one relative said that he was an experienced driver.

She said: "He didn't just drive around the corner and nothing else.

"He would drive to Scotland to see his family on a regular basis."

No other information is known about the occupants of the other vehicle involved in the incident.

Anyone with information is asked to call Derbyshire police on 0345 1233333 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.