Inquest hears of tragic act that crushed boy, 13
ATEENAGER was crushed to death after falling under the car he had released the handbrake of, an inquest heard.
Kaden Gowers, 13, and his friend were alone listening to music in a car while they waited for his friend’s mum to finish work on St Austell Avenue, Macclesfield, the hearing was told.
But Kaden, who was sitting in the driver’s seat, let the handbrake off.
The Vauxhall Zafira, which belonged to his friend’s mum, started to roll backwards down the hill and they jumped out of the car and ran to the back to push it from behind.
But Kaden slipped and fell into the road and the car rolled over him, the inquest at Macclesfield Town Hall heard. He became trapped between the car and the kerb. It had rolled to below the junction with Fowey Close and was half on the kerb. His 15-year-old friend made a distressed and panicked 999 call and paramedics attended but were unable to revive Kaden. He died at the scene from his injuries.
The incident happened shortly before 9pm.
Cheshire coroner Jean Harkin concluded Kaden’s cause of death was acute asphyxia due to crush injuries.
She said he died through misadventure.
She said: “This is a very sad and tragic death of a young man.
“His friend confirmed that Kaden let the handbrake off. He exited the car, the car started to move backwards and he fell over trying to stop the vehicle from behind.
“He became trapped and suffered crush injuries and was unconscious when paramedics arrived. Kaden released the handbrake which was a purposeful act which went on to cause his death, an act that went terribly wrong.”
She thanked Kaden’s mum Kerry Jennings for her bravery and said she hoped she had some answers at the inquest.
The inquest heard the car and its brakes were in a serviceable condition.
Kaden’s friend said in one account that she pushed Kaden away from the car to try to save him.
In a statement Ms Jennings said Kaden, who was born in Salford and was a pupil at All Hallows Catholic College, was a ‘thoughtful’ young man.
She said: “He stepped into the mantle of being the man of the house after his father’s death.”