A former youth football coach and scout was found dead in a single-vehicle car crash on the day he was due to go on trial accused of the historical sexual abuse of boys aged under 16.

Michael “Kit” Carson, 75, 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.

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

Carson had worked at Norwich City, Peterborough United and Cambridge United.

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.