A TEENAGE musician was killed in the “most tragic” of accidents when he was hit by a passing car while out jogging, an inquest has heard.

Elliot Furniss

A TEENAGE musician was killed in the “most tragic” of accidents when he was hit by a passing car while out jogging, an inquest has heard.

Timothy Dunn, known as Tim, was running close to his home in Heybridge, near Maldon, when he joined a road from a country footpath but did not see an approaching vehicle.

Driver Nicholas Wilson, 39, told yesterday's hearing how he “suddenly” saw the youngster and broke to avoid hitting him but he collided with the front of the car and was fatally injured.

The inquest heard that that Mr Dunn, 17, was travelling at such pace as he entered the road that Mr Wilson had “no realistic opportunity” to avoid hitting him.

He was certified dead at the scene and a post-mortem examination found he died from multiple injuries.

Accident investigator Pc Charles Harris told the hearing, at New Bridge House in Chelmsford, that Mr Wilson was travelling well within the speed limit at the time of the collision and there were no faults with the road or the vehicle.

He said: “He (Mr Dunn) may have seriously misjudged the speed and positioning of the vehicle as he went to cross. Mr Wilson did not have any realistic opportunity to avoid this collision, which would have been most unexpected.”

Pc Harris said that although Mr Dunn did have a set of headphones near his head when his body came to rest, they were not in his ears and it was not possible to tell if he had been wearing them at the time of the accident.

Mr Dunn was a keen musician and a six form student at the Plume School in Maldon, a specialist performing arts college.

Speaking to the EADT after the accident in July last year, his mother Carolyn Elson said he was “hugely popular”.

She said: “He had everything in front of him. He liked all sorts of music, that was his passion in life. He was really enjoying himself at school and was about to join the Territorial Army - he was just waiting to reach the required age.

“He was just a couple of weeks away from that and that's why he was out running, to improve his fitness.”

Essex Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray recorded a verdict of accidental death and offered her condolences to the family.

“Timothy Dunn died as a result of an accident,” she said. “It was the most tragic of accidents and I would like to offer you (the family) the court's sympathy.

“He was a young man with a bright future in front of him and I hope you can treasure the very many positive memories you have of him.”