A 13-YEAR-OLD boy died after being hit by a bus he ran in front of, an inquest has heard.
Dean Wilkinson died in the Royal Lancaster Infirmary on October 12 following the accident in Slyne Road, Lancaster.
An inquest was told that Dean, of Mount Avenue, had been to a nearby shop with two friends shortly before the accident.
They w
ere walking back down Slyne Road when Dean spotted someone he thought he knew.
He ran down the pavement before continuing to run on the cycle lane in the road.
A Stagecoach 540 service from Keswick was travelling along the road a short distance behind him.
Driver Anthony Draper, who has driven buses for more than 40 years, said he saw Dean set off running. "He got into the cycle lane and he was sprinting as fast as he could," Mr Draper said.
"I moved towards the centre of the road to avoid him.
"As I drew level with him he suddenly turned right and I struck him."
Mr Draper stopped immediately. Dean was taken to hospital, where he later died.
Accident investigation officer PC Richard Roberts said CCTV pictures from the bus confirmed Mr Draper's evidence.
Bus passenger Georgia Roberts and motorists Nathan Robinson and Lucinda Wannop also gave evidence which supported Mr Draper's version of events.
No one saw Dean look before he ran in front of the bus, which had been travelling at around 25mph.
Coroner Mr Simon Jones recorded a verdict of accidental death.
