A pick-up truck was spotted speeding away after a retired teacher suffered fatal head injuries in a hit-and-run-incident in Wakefield.
An inquest at Wakefield heard 68-year-old Peter Lambert was struck by a red Nissan Navara on Lennox Drive at Lupset last July.
Police later found the Navara hidden at a disused airfield in Lincolnshire.
The inquest heard witnesses had seen the Navara speeding away from the scene of the incident, but there were no independent witnesses to the circumstances leading up to it.
Recording a narrative verdict at yesterday’s inquest, West Yorkshire Coroner David Hinchliff said: “The precise circumstances leading to this incident cannot be ascertained as there were no independent witnesses, nor has the driver ever given any explanation as to what happened.
“The driver was seen to leave the scene of this incident at high speed and was driving dangerously and erratically before going to considerable trouble to conceal the vehicle in the Gainsborough area of Lincolnshire.”
The inquest previously heard Jennifer King was driving on Lennox Drive with her partner, David Lovell, just after Mr Lambert was knocked down at around 2.45pm on July 23 2011.
Mr Lovell saw a red pick up truck driving away from Lennox Drive towards Horbury Road.
Mr Hinchliff asked him: “Would you have thought that the driver of that vehicle would have been aware that there was someone lying in the road?”
Mr Lovell replied: “Yes. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
Another witness, David Francis, described how he heard tyres screeching and then saw a red pick-up truck speed past his front room window, which faces Lennox Drive.
In June this year James Duxfield, of Tower Road, County Durham, was jailed for 28 months and banned from driving for three years after he admitted dangerous driving, fraud and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Duxfield’s accomplices John Ward and Denver Finney were also jailed after they helped to hide his four-by-four at a disused airfield following the incident.
Ward was jailed for 20 months after admitting conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and breaching his bail conditions.
Finney was jailed for 14 months after admitting to conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Forensic pathologist Dr Philip Lumb told the inquest Mr Lambert’s death was caused by a massive head injury and was consistent with being hit by a pick-up truck.