POLICE believe a 61-year-old Crewe man may have died of a heart attack before his car collided with a roadside barrier on Friday.

Thomas Rogers, of Greenacres, Crewe, died when his Vauxhall Cavalier collided with a barrier at the junction of Earle Street and Vernon Way at 11.10am on Friday.

A post-mortem recorded his death as natural causes after a witness' statement reported seeing the driver lying back clutching his chest before the vehicle shot forward into the barrier.

No other vehicles were involved in the incident that was reported to the police by a passing motorist.

It was one of six deaths on Cheshire's roads last week and has resulted in police calling for motorists to take extra care in variable weather conditions.

Crewe traffic police Sgt, Steve Griffiths, said: "On cold and frosty mornings black ice can present a real danger to drivers, this coupled with bright sunlight can create treacherous weather conditions.

"Cheshire Police is urging drivers to think before getting behind the wheel.

"Drivers need to stop and consider the current road conditions, think about how the weather may influence their own or other drivers behaviour and adjust their speed and the way in which they drive accordingly.

"Driver behaviour holds the key to saving lives during this time of the year when the sun is low in the sky during the first and latter part of the day."

Motorists are also being asked to check their windscreen washers on a daily basis to ensure they can clean screens that get soiled with extra dirt created by gritters spraying salt and grit.