Schoolboy 'may not have seen car coming because he was wearing hoodie'

Schoolboy, 13, who was killed when he was hit by car while riding his Micro Scooter may not have seen it coming because he was wearing a hoodie, inquest hears

• Charlie Seale, 13, was riding a scooter in Devon at night when a BMW car hit him
• Coroner Michael Bird said it is possible the hood ‘impaired his vision to the right’
• It was also alleged Charlie may have been listening to music on phone at time  
• Mr Bird said Charlie did not see car and driver Zack Taylor, 30, did not see boy

A schoolboy who was killed when he was hit by a car while riding his Micro Scooter may not have seen it coming because he was wearing a hoodie, an inquest has heard.

Charlie Seale, 13, had been riding his self-propelled scooter across Sandy Road in Devon at night in April last year when a vehicle driven by Zack Taylor, 30, hit him.

Coroner Michael Bird said: ‘It is possible his hood was up and it impaired his vision to the right.’ 

It was also alleged that Charlie may have been listening to music from his phone when he was hit by the BMW car in Plympton. 

Charlie Seale (pictured above), 13, had been riding his self propelled scooter in Plympton, Devon at night in April last year when a vehicle driven by Zack Taylor, 30, hit him

Devon and Cornwall Police pictured with a cordon in place on Sandy Road in the Plympton area of Plymouth, Devon, after Charlie was hit by the BMW car last year

No one witnessed the accident but a man nearby raced to the scene after hearing a loud bang and heard music coming from the boy’s body in the road.

Aaron Javadi said the music was not ‘particularly loud’ and seemed to be connected to a phone. He had seen Charlie moments before and said the boy’s hood was up.

Mr Taylor said he was driving at 30mph when in ‘a split second’ he ‘saw a kid through the nearside window’.

Police said Charlie and his scooter struck the front of the BMW and the 13-year-old was thrown onto the bonnet and smashed the windscreen before being flung on to the road.

Sandy Lane in Devon, where the boy riding a scooter was killed after he was struck by a car. No one witnessed the accident but a man nearby raced to the scene after hearing a loud bang

Charlie died soon after from multiple head, chest and neck wounds. 

Plymouth assistant coroner Mr Bird said it had not been possible to establish the speed of the BMW but he said there was no evidence Charlie was riding his scooter inappropriately or Mr Taylor was driving improperly.

He said Charlie did not see the car and Mr Taylor did not see the boy who was dressed in dark clothes.  

A conclusion of accidental death has been recorded. 

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