Boy, 11, killed after ‘veering bike into path of bus when driver beeped horn’ before shouting ‘what the f***have I done’
AN 11-YEAR-OLD boy was killed while riding his bike after “veering into the path of a bus when the driver beeped the horn”.
Lucas Ashton was riding home from his granddad’s house in Bolton, Greater Manchester, when tragedy struck shortly after 1pm on December 30, 2022.
The horror unfolded after a bus driver beeped his horn and tried to overtake the youngster.
Lucas swerved to the right and was hit by the driver, who reportedly cried “what the **** have I done?'”.
An inquest into the 11-year-old’s death was held at Bolton Coroner’s Court on Wednesday this week.
In a statement read out to the court, Lucas’ heartbroken mum Sarah Heaton described her son as “a very adventurous young man from the very start”.
Emma Schofield, a senior paramedic with the North West Ambulance Service, was the first at the scene.
She told the hearing she knew nothing could be done to save Lucas.
CCTV from the bus and a nearby care home was also played to the court.
A passenger on the bus Victoria Lester, said she remembered Lucas “jumping at the sound of the horn” and that he “seemed to be losing control”.
But another ticket holder, David Spencer, said he had “felt safe” and was “happy with the driver’s skills”.
PC Martin Davies, a forensic collision reconstruction officer, investigated the scene and CCTV footage to find out if the death was preventable.
He said: “In this particular case, I was able to establish that if the bike carried on in a straight line it wouldn’t have happened.
“In regards to why or how Lucas turned the bike, I wasn’t able to establish why.
“There’s no evidence to support that it was a loss of control.
“There was no reaction from Lucas and no indication that Lucas had heard the horn before it happened.”
He found the bus was being driven between 20 and 24 mph on Vernon Street, where the speed limit is 20 mph.
Coroner Peter Sigee ruled Lucas’ death to be a result of a traumatic head injury suffered in a road traffic collision.
He said the bus driver had been “overtaking in a manner within the highway code”.
The coroner added: “Lucas suddenly, and without warning, veered to the right so that a collision occurred.
“Lucas was unseated from his bicycle and he suffered an unsurvivable injury.
“Before I close this inquest, may I reiterate my condolences to everyone involved.”