A SCHOOLBOY who was killed as he tried to walk home along the A14 could have fallen from a crash barrier and into the path of an oncoming lorry, an inquest has revealed.

A SCHOOLBOY who was killed by a lorry as he walked home along the A14 may have fallen from a crash barrier and into the path of the vehicle, an inquest has revealed.

Ronnie Alex was attempting to make his way from Bury St Edmunds to Stowmarket, where he lived with his parents, when he was struck head-on by the HGV on January 16 this year.

The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, which happened under the Moreton Hall footbridge in Bury at around 6.30pm.

Speaking at the inquest held at Shire Hall in Bury St Edmunds yesterday, Greater Suffolk Coroner Peter Dean said the youngster had walked up the slip road leading on to the A14 towards Newmarket, and was on the westbound side of the A14 when he was struck in the middle of the carriageway by an HGV. He was then hit by a Volkswagen Passat.

“Visibility was reduced by dark conditions and the fact he was wearing dark clothes,” said Dr Dean.

“He may have been walking along the crash barrier and may have fallen into the path of the approaching lorry.”

The teenager, who attended King Edward VI Upper School, had recently moved from Bury to Stowmarket with his parents, Alex and Saramma Chacko .

Dr Dean said Ronnie, who was originally from Saudi Arabia, had been described as a “bright and excellent student, with no major issues either in or out of school and had no problems at home”.

On the day of the accident, the teenager had completed a science exam, and had left school as normal. A friend of Ronnie's had seen him going into the library in Bury, when he spoke of his intentions to get the train home.

“The incident was the subject of considerable investigation by police officers,” said Dr Dean. “There was nothing giving any indication of anything untoward that would have contributed to the tragedy that took place.”

Dr Dean also said that, given the extent of the injuries Ronnie sustained as a result of the impact with the lorry, it was likely he died “almost instantly”.

“This was a most tragic accident, and our thoughts are very much with his family and all those close to him in these very, very sad circumstances,” he said.

Dr Dean recorded a verdict of accidental death.