EMERGENCY services spent hours trying to save the life of a teen killed in a road traffic collision, an inquest heard.

Edward (Ted) Southward died at the scene of a crash on the A595 at Prospect Hill, Waberthwaite on April 8.

The 14-year-old was described as ‘one in a million’ by his family who paid tribute to their much-loved son during his inquest at Cockermouth Coroners’ Court yesterday.

Ted had been riding his modified bike – which was fitted with an engine – when he collided with a vehicle near the junction of Lowther Street on the A595.

Driver Steven Killip, who hit Ted with his car, said he was ‘dearly sorry’ at yesterday’s inquest.

The agricultural worker, from Copeland, was beginning his ‘quiet’ journey home when the collision happened.

He said he was ‘about four or five car lengths away’ from the junction of Lowther Street when he saw someone on their bike travelling at considerable speed.

“As I saw him, I slammed my foot on the brakes and hit him,” he told the court.

“I didn’t know where I had hit him. There was only a split second between me seeing him and the collision.”

After running out of the car, Mr Killip found Ted lying on the ground and bleeding heavily from his head.

Emergency services arrived at around 7.30pm and paramedics attempted CPR for two hours before Ted was pronounced dead.

“I am dearly sorry this has happened, I wish I could have done more,” Mr Killip said.

A forensic collision investigation found that the view of both the driver and Ted would have been obstructed by a wall preventing them from seeing one another, the court heard.

The driver was travelling at a ‘safe speed’, the court was told, and there was no fault in the vehicle.

The brakes in Ted’s modified bike, however, were ‘ineffective’ and would not have offered suitable braking for emergency stops, the forensics investigation found.

Coroner Margaret Taylor recorded a death caused by a road traffic collision.

She said: “It’s clear he was dearly loved by not just his parents but his friends, siblings and teachers. At 14 what he had achieved is what most people don’t achieve in a lifetime. He had a love of farming and passion for racing.”