Jacob Turner: Boy, 4, killed while riding mini-motorbike for the first time

A young boy was killed after he crashed into a fence while out riding his new mini-motorbike for the first time, an inquest has heard.

Four-year-old Jacob Turner, of Blackwood, Caerphilly, suffered traumatic brain injuries and died hours after the collision on a playing field near his home on 4 May last year.

An inquest at Gwent Coroner's Court heard Jacob "had a love for sports and the outdoors" and had a particular passion for motorbikes, which he had been riding since he was a small child after being inspired by his older brother.

It was heard the family had a long-term involvement in motocross.

Jacob had been taken to the Britannia Playing Fields in Cefn Fforest with his father, Ross Turner, his grandfather, and a friend on the afternoon of the accident.

A collision investigation statement read out by senior coroner Caroline Saunders said Jacob's dad had chosen the playing field which he considered to be a safe and secure place for the boy to ride his new bike for the first time.

She said Jacob had been wearing an orange and white motorbike suit, a helmet and gloves, and that Mr Turner had checked the bike including its brakes to ensure it was working correctly and had no issues.

Jacob's dad and grandfather had formed a triangle on the field with Jacob riding in between them.

At one point he was riding towards his grandfather when he appeared to "hit a bump" and veered towards a boundary fence on the field.

Mr Turner and Jacob's grandfather ran but were unable to reach him before he collided with a metal post on the fence.

The investigation noted that Mr Turner said Jacob "appeared to apply the throttle in an uncontrolled manner", threw himself off the bike and hit the fence before falling to the floor.

"At first he [Mr Turner] did not think it was serious, but found his son unresponsive and not breathing," Ms Saunders said, adding that Mr Turner moved his son to another area for CPR to be performed.

An ambulance was called and Jacob was transported to University Hospital of Wales's A&E department in Cardiff.

A statement from Dr Skone, a consultant in paediatric intensive care, said Jacob had suffered a cardiac arrest at the scene before being resuscitated and brought to hospital.

He was found to have a heart rate in the 90s, which Skone said was "compatible with a serious head injury or a spinal cord injury”.

The court heard Jacob was treated in hospital for multiple traumatic injuries and died shortly after midnight on 5 May, 2021.

Saunders said the motorbike Jacob had been riding had been in good working order and was suitable for his age. She added that the protective clothing he had been wearing had also been appropriate for the activity.

Recording a medical cause of death of traumatic brain injuries, she said: "Jacob died from fatal head injuries sustained the previous day when the children's motorbike he was riding collided with a metal post.”

Concluding that his death had been an accident, Saunders expressed her condolences to Jacob's family, saying she was sure it would be "of little comfort" to his family to know their son "died doing something he loved".