My first thought was 'Oh, he's going to get killed'

Karen Foley Witness

Mr Rebello told an inquest at Liverpool Coroners Court that adults may be able to use the light aluminium scooters safely on the highway.

"However I am not convinced that children should use them on roads or indeed on pavements," he told the court.

"They should be used in gardens and public parks."

He recorded a verdict of accidental death.

"Clearly these vehicles travel very fast and as we now know, can be fatal," Mr Rebello said.

The inquest heard how Arron was seen waiting at traffic lights on 25 September.

He was crouched down behind a parked car waiting to push off with his right leg, the court heard.

Dead on arrival

But he then sped out into the traffic even though the lights were on green.

Karen Foley, who was waiting to cross the road, told the court in a statement that the traffic was very heavy when she noticed Arron on his scooter.

"My first thought was 'Oh, he's going to get killed', so I instinctively reached out with my right hand," the court heard.

"But he glided through my hand and brushed past me. He was going too fast for him to know anything about it.

"I put my hands to my face and saw him hit by a black taxi. It was as quick as that."

She said she had seen Arron lying on the ground with blood coming from his head.

There was nothing I could do to avoid the collision

Tony O'Donnell Taxi driver

"The taxi driver didn't stand a chance," her statement said.

Arron was taken to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital but was dead on arrival.

Dr George Kokai, consultant paediatric histopathologist, told the inquest Arron would have died instantly.

"It was so severe he would have lost consciousness immediately," Dr Kokai said.

"Death would have followed within moments. He would not have suffered at all and would have known nothing of what happened."

Aaron had not been wearing any protective headgear at the time of the accident.

State of shock

The taxi driver Tony O'Donnell, 59, went into a state of shock following the accident, the court heard.

Arron's father Paul Jennings and his mother, who are now separated, both visited Mr O'Donnell to say they did not hold him responsible for the accident.

"There was nothing I could do to avoid the collision. Nothing at all. I only wish there could have been," Mr O'Donnell told police officers who interviewed him after the accident.

Arron's death was believed to be the first fatality from an accident involving a micro scooter.

Liverpool City Council had issued a warning about micro scooters on 14 September, 11 days before Arron was killed.

Trading standards officer Phil Sadler told the inquest that micro scooters intended as toys would bear the CE safety mark.

"Those that don't have a CE mark are not toys and therefore should not be purchased for nor given as presents to children," he said.