Death of 16-year-old Lowestoft cyclist Ethan Wright sees coroner call for urgent action to improve safety in Higher Drive

A coroner has warned of a risk to the public if safety measures are not put in place along the road where a 16-year-old cyclist died.

Ethan Wright, of Lowestoft, died in Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, on November 18 last year.

On the previous day, he had been involved in a collision with a van in Higher Drive, a residential street in Lowestoft.

Today, an inquest at Ipswich Coroner's Court heard that Ethan came onto the street from an adjoining side road on November 17, around 10.10am.

Emerging into Higher Drive, he collided with the side of a van, sustaining massive brain damage.

The driver of the van immediately pulled over and called 999.

A witness described coming to Ethan's aid following the collision.

They said: "I was trying to reassure Ethan by telling him that the ambulance was on the way, and he was going to be okay."

Ethan was airlifted to Addenbrooke's Hospital, where medics set out to assess the extent of his head injuries.

He was described as 'profoundly unconscious', and staff soon realised that no recovery from the injury was possible.

Ethan died at 4.15pm on November 18, a day after the collision.

Following the arrival of police officers on the scene of the incident, the van driver passed drugs, alcohol and sight tests.

He has expressed his condolences to Ethan's family and friends, saying: "I feel horrible. A poor lad's lost his life - it's just horrible."

The inquest also heard from PC Dean Webb, who described attending the scene of the incident as a forensic investigator.

Arriving shortly after the collision, PC Webb found that Ethan had hit the van's wing mirror with such force that he caused visible damage to the vehicle.

The coroner, Nigel Parsley, asked the officer: "Is it one of those cases where, tragically, the driver happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?"

PC Webb agreed with this characterisation of the tragedy.

Ruling the cause of Ethan's death as 'severe traumatic brain injury', Mr Parsley closed the inquest by suggesting that urgent action was required to prevent further deaths on Higher Drive.

He stated that he is going to issue a notice expressing his concern for public safety along the road.

Mr Parsley said: "I am concerned that future deaths will occur if action is not taken."

The coroner said that barriers could protect cyclists exiting the side road onto Higher Drive - although he emphasised he has no authority over such matters.

A GoFundMe page set up in the aftermath of Ethan's death raised almost £14,000 towards the costs of a memorial.