Schoolboy cyclist, 11, died in crash after 'veering sharply' into path of bus after its driver beeped horn and tried to overtake, inquest told

An 11-year-old schoolboy was killed successful a clang portion cycling to his grandfather's location aft a autobus operator beeped its horn and tried to implicit instrumentality him, an inquest has told.

Lucas Ashton was riding his motorcycle successful Bolton, Greater Manchester, erstwhile helium was killed successful a autobus clang connected December 30, 2022.

A autobus operator beeped his horn and tried to overtake Lucas, who past turned sharply to the close and into the way of the vehicle, with the operator reportedly saying 'what the **** person I done?'

An inquest into Lucas' decease was held astatine Bolton Coroner's Court connected Wednesday, April 2.

His mum Sarah Heaton wrote that Lucas was 'a precise adventurous young antheral from the precise start', successful a connection work retired to the court.

Emma Schofield, a elder paramedic with the North West Ambulance Service, said she was the archetypal subordinate of exigency services astatine the scene, arriving 'shortly aft 1pm'.

She said that she 'immediately recognised' that it 'would not beryllium imaginable to prevention Lucas'.

CCTV from the autobus and a adjacent attraction location was played to the court, showing Lucas riding his bicycle connected the near broadside of the road.

A autobus operator past beeped his horn and tried to overtake Mr Ashton, who past seemed to crook sharply to the close and was hit.

One rider of the bus, David Spencer, said helium 'felt safe' and was 'happy with the driver's skills'.

Though another, Victoria Lester, said she remembered the young lad 'jumping astatine the dependable of the horn' and that helium 'seemed to beryllium losing control'.

PC Martin Davies, a forensic collision reconstruction officer, investigated the country and CCTV footage to find retired if the decease was preventable.

He said: 'In this peculiar case, I was capable to found that if the motorcycle carried connected successful a consecutive enactment it wouldn't person happened.

'In regards to wherefore oregon however Lucas turned the bike, I wasn't capable to found why.

'There's nary grounds to enactment that it was a nonaccomplishment of control.

'There was nary absorption from Lucas and nary denotation that Lucas had heard the horn earlier it happened.'

He recovered the autobus was being driven betwixt 20 and 24 mph connected Vernon Street, wherever the velocity bounds is 20 mph.

Coroner Peter Sigee ruled Lucas' decease to beryllium a effect of a 'traumatic caput wounded suffered successful a roadworthy postulation collision'.

He said that the autobus operator had been 'overtaking successful a mode wrong the road code'.

The coroner added: 'Lucas suddenly, and without warning, veered to the close truthful that a collision occurred.'

He said: 'Lucas was unseated from his bicycle and helium suffered an unsurvivable injury.

'Before I adjacent this inquest, whitethorn I reiterate my condolences to everyone involved.'