Former Norwich City football coach Michael 'Kit' Carson was killed when his car struck a tree the day he was due to go on trial accused of the historical sexual abuse of boys aged under 16.

Eastern Daily Press: The scene on the A1303 near Bottisham in Cambridgeshire where a red Mazda 3 driven by youth football and scout Michael 'Kit' Carson collided with a tree yesterday morning, killing the 75 year old. Carson had been due to stand trial at Peterborough Crown Court on 12 counts of indecent assault and one of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. Photo: Joe Giddens/PA WireThe scene on the A1303 near Bottisham in Cambridgeshire where a red Mazda 3 driven by youth football and scout Michael 'Kit' Carson collided with a tree yesterday morning, killing the 75 year old. Carson had been due to stand trial at Peterborough Crown Court on 12 counts of indecent assault and one of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. Photo: Joe Giddens/PA Wire

The 75-year-old had pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing at Cambridge Crown Court to 12 counts of indecent assault and one of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Police said the allegations involved 11 victims, all boys under the age of 16, between 1978 and 2009.

Carson also worked at Peterborough United and Cambridge United.

Eastern Daily Press: The scene on the A1303 near Bottisham in Cambridgeshire where a red Mazda 3 driven by youth football and scout Michael 'Kit' Carson collided with a tree yesterday morning, killing the 75 year old. Carson had been due to stand trial at Peterborough Crown Court on 12 counts of indecent assault and one of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. Photo: Joe Giddens/PA WireThe scene on the A1303 near Bottisham in Cambridgeshire where a red Mazda 3 driven by youth football and scout Michael 'Kit' Carson collided with a tree yesterday morning, killing the 75 year old. Carson had been due to stand trial at Peterborough Crown Court on 12 counts of indecent assault and one of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. Photo: Joe Giddens/PA Wire

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His trial was listed to start at Peterborough Crown Court on Monday, and on Tuesday the court was told details of his death.

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.

'There is an investigation being carried out and I therefore don't propose to go into any other details.

'The position is that the car was registered to Mr Carson and the person who died was of the appropriate age and had in his possession identification documents in the name of Mr Carson and also yesterday afternoon at approximately 4.30pm the body was identified by Mr Carson's widow.'

Inspector Amarjit Singh QPM told the court the body of Carson was formally identified by his wife Pauline Carson.

Judge Matthew Lowe ruled that the case file be closed.

Carson, of St Bartholomew's Court, Riverside, Cambridge, had been on bail.

Cambridgeshire Police have since confirmed the death of Mr Carson, who had been driving on the A1303 at Bottisham, around seven miles outside of Cambridge.

Michael Carson, 75, of St Bartholomew's Court, Cambridge, was driving his red Mazda 3 at about 9.45am when it left the road and crashed into a tree.

A police 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.

'Mr Carson was due to stand trial at Peterborough Crown Court, beginning yesterday, on multiple sexual assault charges alleged to have happened between 1978 and 2009.

'The victims have been informed and efforts are being made to contact all the witnesses.'

Anyone who saw the collision or has dash cam footage should call 101, quoting incident 100 of 7 January.