AN eight-year-old boy died while trying to cross a major North-East road to catch up with his friends, an inquest heard.

Stephen Kenneth Blagg was trying to get home with his brothers, Aaron and Nathan, both ten, and three friends when he was hit by a car on the A19 – which has a 70mph speed limit.

They had been taking a shortcut across the road between Teesside Retail Park and Whinney Banks, Middlesbrough, when Stephen was struck by the BMW on October 28, at about 7.30pm.

The youngsters were just 132 metres away from a footbridge, which would have allowed them to cross safely. Instead, they chose to cut through a gap in a vandalised fence.

Teesside Coroners Court heard yesterday how driver Russell Hunt had been returning to his Billingham home on the northbound A19, when he spotted two children on the central reservation and the rest on the grass between the A66 slip road and the A19.

In a statement, passenger Andrew Peacock said Mr Hunt slowed down, but Stephen ran out in front of the car.

Witnesses told the inquest they had seen the children crossing the busy dual carriageway.

Sergeant David Allen said two of the children made it to the central reservation, before Stephen, of Springvale Terrace, Whinney Banks, had decided to run and join them.

He said police investigations concluded that Mr Hunt was probably driving at between 50 and 60mph when he hit Stephen.

“He (Stephen) appeared to be oblivious to the dangers,”

Sgt Allen said. “The collision was unavoidable.”

He added: “It is a consideration that the very young and impressionable Stephen was more concerned with keeping up with his friends not with the cars around him.”

Pathologist Jan Lowe said Stephen died as a result of brain injuries and a fracture to his spine.

Teesside Coroner Michael Sheffield said he would be contacting Middlesbrough Borough Council to ensure the fence was fixed to prevent such a tragedy happening again.

He recorded a verdict of accidental death.

A council spokesman said it was investigating the ownership of the land.