Seventeen-year-old Gareth Jones, from Gloucester, was found on the A417 Barnwood bypass in the early hours of Saturday January 24. He had suffered serious head injuries and died later in hospital. Police believe he had been lying in the road and was run over, but there is still confusion over what happened to Gareth. Gareth's father, David, spoke to BBC Gloucestershire about the steps his family are taking to try and discover the truth about what happened to his son. The awful truth I was working in London when I found out about Gareth by telephone at 4.55am on the Saturday morning. The police called me to say that Gareth had died and my whole world just fell apart.  | | Gareth hoped to work in forensics |
Shock was my first reaction and the police told me to wait until they sent a police car for me but I drove back from Gatwick to home. "During the drive I was numb and it was total disbelief. I expected to get home and see him in the front room, it just wasnt real." On his journey home David drove back via the A417 but the road was closed. He said, "I could see police in the road and I automatically knew exactly where it had happened even though I hadnt been told." It's been nearly eight weeks since Gareth's death and David says the only thing helping him cope is keeping busy. "The weeks since his death havent really helped, but keeping busy does. I'm doing something active, going round the area hanging up posters, searching for information on what happened that night." Theories The original police theory was that Gareth died when he fell off the footbridge going over the A417, but police and forensic experts cant find any proof as to why Gareth died.  I was working in London when I found out about Gareth by telephone at 4.55am on the Saturday morning. The police called me to say that Gareth had died and my whole world just fell apart. | | David Jones |
According to David, "Theres no forensic evidence at the scene at all and they cant work out what happened. "Theyve now discounted the theory that he came off the bridge, and it definitely happened on the road. But as there were no impact marks to his legs he had to be in the road when it happened. "A lot of the bridge theory came from the media but the police discounted it when they worked out the velocities youd have to travel at to hit that point in the road. Gareth definitely had to be in the road when it happened because the first impact marks are to his ribs." Poster campaign David is currently distributing posters around the city hoping that someone will come forward with new information. "I'm keeping busy with this campaign as the fear is that we may never know what happened. That's why Im appealing to anybody with any information no matter how small to come forward. "The worst thing is not knowing. You go over all the different scenarios trying to work out what happened. Deep down Ive got to believe it was an accident but at the moment we dont know whether it was an accident or something else happened. | Deep down Ive got to believe it was an accident but at the moment we dont know whether it was an accident or something else happened. | | David Jones |
"The trouble is even though the police have been great, they can't take it any further unless someone comes forward with more information." Sadly David says he will never use the A417 road again and goes out of his way not to travel on the road where his son died. His main concern now is that his family receive an answer to the mystery of his son's death. "I just want answers not only to how he died but also what happened to him in the last few hours of his life. Somebody has the answer and Im not after revenge I just need to know the truth. You always think it never happens to you it always happens to somebody else but now reality has hit us. The normal order is we bury our grandparents and our children bury us, and this should never have happened. "Gareth had such a bright future ahead of him and we are devastated." Anybody with any information is asked to call Gloucestershire Police on: 0845 090 1234 or The Citizen: 01452 420621. Article by Nat Hall Read some of the features you may have missed in ourarchive section or get in touch at [email protected]. | 
The father of a teenager found dying on a Gloucester dual carriageway is running a poster campaign appealing for information on his son's death.
