Coroner's call for schoolchildren to wear high-visibility jackets

A coroner has called for all children who walk to village schools to wear high-visibility jackets as a "matter of urgency" after a boy was killed on a country road.

Elliott Davies, 13, was struck by a car on the road from Glastonbury to the village of Wedmore as he waited for the school bus. The impact flung him into a roadside ditch.

An inquest into his death yesterday was adjourned after the police officer who investigated the incident agreed to re-examine his report, having heard medical evidence that Elliott was hit from behind.

The report into Elliot's death may now be sent back to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Coroner Michael Rose said he would tell Somerset County Council and the Department of Transport that children who have to walk to school on a public highway should wear reflective jackets.

He also said grave consideration should be given to building flashing lights in the country near areas where three or more children have to cross a highway to reach a school bus stop.

Elliott, a popular pupil at The Kings of Wessex School in Cheddar died instantly from multiple injuries when he was struck by a Citroen Saxo car as he waited for the school bus around 7.48am on January 7 this year.

The car was driven by Alexander Murray, of Cheddar, a 3D design engineer who was travelling to work at Clarks' headquarters at Street, with passenger and work colleague Mitchell Harvey, also of Cheddar.

PC Anthony Court, who examined the car and roadside, told the inquest the headlights had been on dipped beam but he did not think it was possible to tell whether Elliott, of Box Farm, Blakemore, near Wedmore, had been standing still or walking across or down the road to a junction where he always caught the bus.

But after hearing written evidence from pathologist Dr Huw White that an injury to Elliott's right leg showed he had been hit from behind, he agreed that he needed to re-examine, and possibly re-write his report, and re-submit it to the CPS. Mr Rose then adjourned the inquest to a date to be fixed.

Mr Rose described Elliott as: "A well-behaved and very likeable young man."

His mother, Miss Kirsty Turner, is raising funds for Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance which flew Elliott to hospital. On Sunday she and friends will take part in a 10km fundraising run.