BOY 'MAY HAVE TRIPPED OVER' WHEN HE WAS HIT BY TRUCK, INQUEST HEARS

A 12-year-old boy may have tripped and hit a pick-up truck as he ran across a busy road with his friends, an inquest heard yesterday.

Harrison Palmer, from Camborne, Cornwall, was pronounced dead at the scene of the single-vehicle collision.

It happened on the A3047 Agar Road junction with Wilson Way, Pool, near Redruth, at around 3.35pm on March 11.

The four boys had only gone into town that day after school because their football practice had been cancelled.

They ran to the central reservation island but Harrison Palmer for some reason did not stop and was hit by the truck in the opposite lane.

The 68 year old driver of the Ford Iveco flatbed truck Kelvin Fulcher was arrested at the scene but no further action was taken against him.

Builder Mr Fulcher say he was driving at 26mph along the 30mph road at the time, the inquest at Truro Crown Court heard.

He said he was aware of four children crossing to the central reservation but then heard a thud as he drove past it and stopped.

He told the hearing: 'I don't know if he has fallen or tripped, I presume he must have tripped. I have gone past and heard a thud, it was not a very nice feeling.'

Mr Fulcher gave a negative drink and drugs test and had not been using his mobile phone at the time of the collision.

There were some minor defects with his truck but they did not cause or contribute to the accident.

Harrison's mother Natalie Buckland said: 'He was always so cautious crossing roads, stopping and checking multiple times, not crossing if a vehicle was in sight even in the distance. I guess that makes it harder to comprehend.

'Our beautiful boy has gone and his death has hugely impacted the lives of everyone who knew and loved him. Every aspect of our lives have been impacted and upturned. Our hearts will always be broken and we are all so very lost without him.'

She said Harrison was a keen footballer, loved being outdoors and was 'loud, hilariously funny and quick witted'.

Harrison's family said his death has affected his school, friends, the truck driver, the emergency services and those who helped at the scene and they wanted to praise the 'incredible work that our emergency services do'.

The coroner recorded a conclusion of road traffic collision.

2024-05-07T17:35:05Z dg43tfdfdgfd