A SCHOOLBOY died after being knocked off a bike at a notorious Hampshire road junction because the driver of a car could not see him, an inquest heard.

Aarron Keeping, 12, suffered fatal head injuries after the front wheel of the BMX he was riding edged out from a blind spot into a busy road and was hit by an oncoming vehicle.

Now a coroner has called for action to be taken to install safety measures at the crossroads and make the junction safer for motorists and pedestrians.

It comes after residents, councillors and friends of Aarron, a pupil of Ringwood School, signed petitions and called for improvements at the junction of Burley Road and Ringwood Road in Bransgore, following his death in September.

“My understanding is that this has been a concern at parish level for many years and following events of this severity I hope it will be looked at very carefully and improvements are made,” said Southampton coroner Keith Wiseman.

Review “I shall be writing to the relevant authority to make sure this happens and there is a review.”

Southampton Coroner’s Court heard how Aarron, who was a talented cricketer, was riding his friend’s BMX and using his feet to stop it moving because it had had its only brake removed.

Witnesses said that as Aarron waited for a friend to catch up on Ringwood Road, alongside The Crown Inn, he had his feet on the pedals of the bike and it “seemed to drift forward” into Burley Road.

Witness Jonathan Hamm said he saw Aarron approach the junction while another boy was following on a scooter. “There was nothing unusual. It looked like he was going to stop,” he said.

Mr Wiseman ruled that the youngster’s death was an accident.

He said there was some misjudgement from the cyclist, who intended to stop but it was restrictions at the crossroads that stopped the driver of the Ford Focus, David Perris, 25, from seeing him.

Accident investigator PC Tracey Saunders said Mr Perris was driving below the 40mph speed limit.

“I am of the opinion that this tragic incident occurred as a result of the cyclist entering into the carriageway and into the path of the Ford,” she said.

“The difficulty of either participant to react to the other’s presence was combined with the restricted visibility caused by the physical nature of the junction.”

Hundreds of friends and family gathered at All Saints Church in Thorney Hill to say goodbye to Aarron. Paying tribute, his family said: “We will miss him so much.”