The front brake on the bicycle of 14-year-old Kadian Harding, killed in a collision with a van on the A4 at Clatford last summer, had failed, two experts have told the second day of the inquest into his death now being held at Salisbury.
They examined the bicycle Kadian was riding at the time of the fatal accident last July and agreed that the pinch bolt on the front cantilever brake was not tightened sufficiently and the brake cable had slipped.
They were not able to say what condition the rear brakes were in at the time of the accident.
David Price, a forensic accident investigator, told the coroner the front brake was “unlikely to be working at the time of the collision”.
Referring to the condition of the rear brakes, he added: “There is no way you would be able to determine how efficient the brakes were.”
Chris Juden, the second forensic expert, agreed with Mr Price’s assessment during the hearing.
Eyewitness Richard Knowles who lives next to the A4 had earlier described hearing Kadian screaming as the bike went down the path at a speed of between 25mph and 30mph.
“He was pumping the brakes and that made me realise he was in trouble,” he said.
“He was standing up on the pedals. He was applying so much force to his brakes that he was trying to keep the bike stable.”
The schoolboy, from Steep in Hampshire, who was attending a course at Marlborough College annual summer school, suffered head injuries and died at the scene.
See also:
Parents of 14-year-old Marlborough bike crash victim Kadian Harding to take legal action
Father reveals the tragic moment he saw his cyclist son killed in a crash on the A4 at Clatford – day one of the inquest
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