AN 11-year-old boy was killed as he ran across a road to catch his bus to school, an inquest was told.

Lawrence James Hammond, of Rawdon Road, Horsforth, ran in front of a green Volvo estate car as he ran to catch the bus, which was approaching its stop at the other side of the road, near Rawdon Crematorium.

An inquest at Leeds Coroner's Court heard that the car had no chance to stop and Lawrence was hurled into the air and over the car. He was killed immediately.

In recording a verdict of accidental death, Leeds Coroner David Hinchliff said: "A tragic incident like this is the dread of every parent and every driver, and it's there but for the grace of God we all go in these circumstances. The only

verdict I can give is one of accidental death.

"The only consolation I can give to Lawrence's parents is that he would not have suffered at all."

Witnesses said that Lawrence was focussed solely on

getting across the road as quickly as possible to get the number 733 First Leeds to Ilkley bus.

They told the court last Thursday that a line of stationary traffic caught in a traffic jam on the Leeds bound

carriageway had probably obscured Lawrence's vision as he ran into the free-flowing Yeadon-bound carriageway. Equally, the driver of the car that hit him, Stuart Hall, would not have seen the youngster until it was too late.

Bus driver Tom Booker, who was driving the 733 service at 8.30am on November 1 last year, said that he was driving along the A65 when he saw the accident in front of him.

Mr Booker said: "The car was being driven in a normal manner on the correct side of the road and was not

speeding. I saw a boy suddenly run out into the lane from between the slow moving traffic heading into Leeds. It is quite possible that he was trying to catch the bus, it happens all the time.

"He did not falter at all, it was a very definite and

determined run. That is when he ran in front of the car. At no point did I see him look in my direction."

Mr Booker added that the Volvo car involved in the

accident stopped immediately and in good time - and that in his opinion the driver had no chance of avoiding him. He also felt that in keeping with many youngsters, Lawrence may have been careless crossing the road.

Two witnesses who were in their cars in the traffic jam both said the driver had appeared to have been driving

correctly.

Sales manager Michael Shipley saw Lawrence run in front of the Volvo and somersault over the car when they collided and managing director Martha Roberts said that she had seen Lawrence leave his driveway looking agitated probably because he was late and that he had looked at the bus to check where it was.

The court heard that in a police interview, Mr Hall said he was driving to his work at Airedale Engineering in Rawdon at between 35 to 45 miles an hour when he suddenly saw a flash of colour in front of him.

"At the time I couldn't have said that it was a person," he said. "It all happened so fast. He more or less hit me rather than me hitting him."

Mr Hinchliff concluded that both Lawrence and Mr Hall would have had their views obscured by the

stationary traffic on the Leeds-bound side of the road. He said that there was nothing the driver could have done to swerve out of the way because it all happened so quickly.

Richard Manning, Mr Hall's legal representative, added that his client was deeply sorry about Lawrence's death and that both he and Lawrence's parents, Peter and Helen, had swapped some moving correspondence and bore no ill-will.