Student unaware of lorry, inquest hears

Jack Essex

‘Tragic accident took away our beautiful Jack’

A TEENAGER who died after being struck by a lorry in Manchester city centre stepped out into the road without seeing the vehicle, an inquest has heard.

Former Saddleworth School pupil Jack Essex (18) was hit by the seven-tonne truck while crossing Portland Street last January.

The media student suffered severe head injuries and had emergency surgery but died from “extensive skull fractures and brain damage” at Salford Royal Hospital the following day.

Manchester Coroners’ Court heard that Jack died as a result of a road traffic collision.

Coroner Nigel Meadows said the driver — who was travelling at 22mph — could not have avoided the collision and there was no evidence that Jack was aware of the oncoming vehicle.

He said: “The evidence suggests that the driver could not have avoided a collision. Jack just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Shouted

Senior investigating officer, Sgt Paul Higgins, said the driver was travelling towards the junction with Piccadilly with no traffic in front of him when the collision occurred at around 8.40am.

Sgt Higgins said one witness saw Jack wearing headphones and shouted out to him but he kept on walking “like he was on a mission” to get somewhere.

Forensic collision reconstruction officer PC Janine Kerr, said witnesses saw Jack stepping out from behind a taxi into the path of the lorry. They reported that he did not look left or right before crossing.

PC Kerr said the taxi could have “partially masked” Jack from view and added that he may not have been at a designated crossing point.

She said the lorry driver was travelling at 22mph before making an emergency stop.

She added: “His reactions were very, very good for a driver in this situation. The driver couldn’t have done any more than he did.”

PC Kerr said witnesses saw Jack wearing headphones but she could not say if he had them around his ears or his neck or if he was distracted by them.

Speaking after the inquest, Jack’s partner Tony Cooper said: “Both myself and Jack’s sisters and dad just want to thank everyone for all their messages of support and we send our thoughts to the driver as well.

“It was a tragic accident that took away our beautiful Jack. But his memory lives on and also through his organ donations. He was very well known and well loved.”

Jack’s mum, Dona Unsworth, also paid tribute to her son .

She said: “Jack was loved and lived a happy life. We had a bit of a fall out towards the end but he had a loving and happy upbringing.”