Crash teenager was riding bike without brakes Inquest also hears he was not wearing helmet
ASCHOOLBOY cyclist who died after colliding with a van at a busy road junction was riding a bike with no brakes fitted and was not wearing a helmet, an inquest heard.
Tyler Edward Wolstenholme, 13, of Buxton Road, Macclesfield, died from multiple injuries after striking a Dodge Caliber van at the junction of the Silk Road and
Brook Street in the town centre at around 8.15am on January 29 this year.
At a hearing at Macclesfield Town Hall, Cheshire coroner Heath Westerman described Tyler’s death as ‘upsetting and tragic for a young gentleman who had so much to live for’.
The court heard from a written statement from Tyler’s mother Louise Wolstenholme who said that Tyler had three older sisters and an older brother and that he was a year nine student at Macclesfield Academy where he was about to start his GCSE studies.
She said Tyler had three bicycles and would normally cycle the 1.5 miles to school, taking around 25 minutes.
She said he had left home shortly after 8am as he liked to arrive at school early to meet his many friends.
The court heard from the driver of the Dodge van, Ola Abiona.
He said he had driven from Congleton and had approached the Silk Road junction with Brook Street in the outside lane and passed into the crossroads with the traffic lights at green.
He said: “I felt my right side tyres shake and then I saw the boy in the road.
“I stopped and put my handbrake and hazards on and got out.
“People were with him. I think I was in shock.”
Alcohol and drug tests on Mr Abiona were completely negative.
Witness Alison Bowers, who was driving her child to school along Brook Street, was behind Tyler on the steep downward incline which led to the Silk Road junction.
She said she had noticed he was riding a small bike and that he was not wearing a helmet.
Ms Bowers said Tyler had been ‘pedalling fast and then freewheeling’ as he approached the junction and she had made the decision not to overtake him.
She said: “I saw him approach the lights and I said ‘ oh my God he’s gone through at red’.”
She told the coroner that she had not seen Tyler’s feet touch the floor in an attempt to slow down.
Another witness, Joe Thompson, who was driving on the inside lane of the Silk Road at the time of the collision, provided dash can footage to police which backed up all the witness versions of events.
Police investigators examined Tyler’s Haro BMX bike and found it had no brakes fitted and that the chain was rusty.
The court heard that Tyler was treated at the scene and then transferred to Royal Manchester Childrens’ Hospital but died later the same day.
Accident investigator PC Thomas Baird said the collision took place 23.5 metres from the stop line on Brook Street in the middle of the crossroads.
He said Mr Abiona would have had no time to see Tyler and make any evasive action.
Mr Westerman recorded a conclusion that Tyler had died as a result of a road traffic collision.
“Tragic death for a young gentleman who had so much to live for”