Boy was 'hidden from driver's view' before fatal crash

A boy who was "kneeling and hunched over the pavement" was likely hidden from the driver's view before being fatally struck by a car, a coroner ruled.

Lennix Sutcliffe, eight, died after being hit by a vehicle driven by Daniel Harford-Jones near his home on Woodland View in Dilton Marsh, Wiltshire, on 14 April 2024.

Speaking at an inquest into Lennix's death earlier, Harford-Jones said he had been returning from a day out with his son and did not see Lennix.

Recording a narrative verdict, coroner David Ridley said Lennix was "likely hidden" from the driver's view by a number of factors, and that the boy "more likely than not was distracted and unaware of the approaching vehicle".

Speaking after the inquest, Lennix's mother Jackie said the family's lives had been "devastated beyond repair".

"As a family, we still live in the same village and I see Lennix's friends often," she said. "They knock on the door at Halloween and it feels so wrong my son is not here with them, enjoying himself and making new memories. Life will never be the same for any of us."

The inquest, held at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner's Court in Salisbury, heard that Lennix had been playing with his brother and a friend on the day of the collision.

According to a police report, he was "knelt and hunched over the pavement" when he was struck by a Renault Kadjar.

An off-duty police officer who lived nearby helped raise the alarm and fetch a defibrillator before paramedics arrived.

Despite their best efforts, Lennix was pronounced dead at 17:00 BST.

The inquest heard accounts of Lennix's final moments from children he had been playing with.

One girl told police Lennix had been kneeling due to a sore ankle and a car was going "pretty fast". Another child said Lennix was "crouched down".

The latter child confirmed the Renault Kadjar had its left indicator flashing as she saw it approach.

PC Alex Collins, of Wiltshire Police, described body-cam footage he reviewed where a girl told an officer, "I was trying to tell the guy to stop" as she could see Lennix in the path of the car.

Jamie Boyland, of Wiltshire Police's forensic investigation unit, told the hearing it was "highly unlikely that Lennix was ever in a position where he would have been readily identifiable to the driver".

Harford-Jones told the inquest he had only owned the Renault Kadjar for a few weeks before the incident. He acknowledged it had a "large bonnet".

On the day of the crash, he told the inquest he was returning from a day out at LaserQuest in Swindon with his son, niece and nephew to his home address at Woodland View where he had a designated space.

Harford-Jones, who has lived in Dilton Marsh for nine years, said he had stopped as he approached his driveway to let a young girl walk past.

He also saw several other children nearby. After the girl crossed his driveway, he continued forward to park.

"I didn't see Lennix," Harford-Jones said, adding he was "unaware of any warning" from nearby children to the eight-year-old's presence.

The court also heard accounts from a neighbour of Harford-Jones who described him as a "sensible" driver.

Guy Hamel, a police officer who attended the scene, said the driver had been "devastated".

Lennix's mother, Jackie, a nursery assistant, and his father, Christopher, a landscaper, were present in court.

A statement read out from Jackie described her son as "full of life".

Lennix hoped to work in sloth conservation or become a palaeontologist, she recalled.

"His dreams were huge and he had the drive and determination to achieve them," she added.

A week before his death, Lennix had undertaken a road safety lesson at school where he was praised for his work.

Jackie continued: "He was good with traffic and knew the Green Cross Code. He knew the area [near his home] exceptionally well and was now allowed far from the house."

Lennix was "a happy-go-lucky child" who loved Pokémon and would have turned 10 this year, Jackie added.

Heather Petrie, of HCC Solicitors which represented the family, read out a tribute to the eight-year-old outside court.

She added: "It is clear Lennix was a wonderful boy, who was loved beyond belief and who will forever be missed by all that knew him."

People from across the West have been involved in tributes in Lennix's memory. At his funeral in Dilton Marsh, residents lined the streets and motorcyclists were waved off several times in Westbury ahead of charity rides.

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