A POPULAR 16-year-old boy died in a crash after 'losing control' of his friend’s scooter and hitting a barrier on his way to work, an inquest heard.

Louis Anderson died following the incident close to the roundabout, on Forrest Way, Sankey Bridges, on October 22 after taking a shortcut while driving the vehicle to work at his parents’ indoor skatepark RAMP 1 in Great Sankey.

After colliding with the crash barrier at the scene he was taken to Aintree Hospital where he sadly died from his injuries.

On Tuesday the inquest at Warrington Coroner’s Court heard the former Bridgewater High School and Priestley College student borrowed his friend’s scooter for the journey as he was late.

The court heard he had driven it ‘around 20 to 25’ times in the past and was a ‘good driver’ despite not having a licence or lessons.

Michael Wilson had been cycling on the Trans Pennine Trail route before discovering Louis’ body shortly after stopping briefly to take a call.

He said: “I put my phone back in my bag and gathered my breath before going up the hill. As I reached the top I saw a motorbike – my immediate feeling was that someone had dumped it.

“I then noticed a body in front of it. There were no vehicles and I don’t remember anything going past.”

PC Michael Badley, from Cheshire Police’s collision investigation unit, attended the scene the following morning.

He confirmed there were no defects to the vehicle that contributed to the incident.

“It does not seem like speed was a factor in the collision but something happened,” he added.

Louis’ dad Mike, of Chester Road, Higher Walton, saw his son at the family home hours before the crash.

He said: “I saw Louis outside and made a comment to his mum saying Louis looks tired – he did not look fresh at all.

“We had no idea he was riding a moped.

“He asked us for one but we refused to get him one and told him we would buy him a car when he turned 17.

“We never wanted him to have a moped.

“From a young age he had always been into skateboarding, BMX and trampolining – anything to get out and about with friends, he was really active.”

The medical cause for death was given as irreversible hypovolemic shock.

Coroner Claire Hammond concluded that Louis died in the road traffic collision after ‘losing control’.

She added: “A friend described him as a good driver despite not having a licence.

“He contacted his friend because he was late for work. There were no eyewitnesses as to what happened.

“He (PC Badley) said speed was not likely to be a factor but something clearly happened to cause him to lose control and for him to collide with the crash barrier.”

Mrs Hammond said the 16-year-old may have lost control because of ‘losing concentration, being distracted or perhaps misjudging the bend’.

“There are a number of possible explanations of why he lost control,” she added.

“It is not possible for me to say which explanation is the most likely one.

“To have a child at such a young age die in circumstances when you have tried so hard to prevent him taking that risk can only be described as devastating.”