A man who never recovered after being knocked down by a hit-and-run driver six years ago, died after contracting pneumonia, an inquest heard.

Paul Dix was hit by a car outside his Drayton Road home in Norwich on January 22, 2006, and spent almost six years in a persistent vegetative state.

The grandfather-of-two died on September 10 last year after being admitted to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. He had become unwell at the Oak Farm neuro-rehabilitation unit in Fakenham Road, Taverham, where he lived for about four years.

Norfolk's assistant deputy coroner David Osborne recorded a narrative verdict at today's Norwich inquest. He said: 'Following contact with the out-of-hours service, as a result of Oak Farm staff being concerned as to his condition, he was seen by his GP at 11.45am on September 2, 2011, and admitted to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, where his condition continued to deteriorate.'

The cause of death was given as aspiration pneumonia and traumatic brain injury as a result of a road traffic accident. The inquest heard that the 43-year-old roofer never recovered after he was run over. All he could do was open his eyes and he just laid motionless in his wheelchair.

A woman from Lakenham received a six-month driving ban and a �50 fine after admitting careless driving and failing to stop at the scene. Her driving licence had expired due to medical restrictions.