A HUDDERSFIELD woman wept as she apologised to the family of a boy who died after colliding with her car.

Ms Tinna Hoyle, of Almondbury, was at Huddersfield Coroner's Court yesterday for an inquest into the death of four-year-old Nathan King, of Town Avenue, Bradley Mills.

On March 5, Nathan rode his bike from a side road into the path of Ms Hoyle's Peugeot on Town Avenue.

Ms Hoyle told Nathan's mum Jennifer King, grandma Christine King and father Kevin Castle: "I am deeply sorry."

Coroner Roger Whittaker ruled Nathan's death was an accident.

At the time of the accident, Ms Hoyle's two children were in the car, along with family friend Mark Wilson and her brother Darren Hoyle.

Neighbours ran to help, as did the people in the Peugeot and a taxi following behind.

Roger Ellison, a surveyor from Tunbridge Wells, was a front seat taxi passenger.

Mr Ellison said: "I saw the child catapulted away. He was face down. He was unconscious and wasn't breathing but had a pulse."

The coroner praised Mr Ellison for trying to resuscitate Nathan, who was taken to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary before being transferred to Leeds General Infirmary.

Two brain stem tests proved negative and Nathan's treatment was stopped.

He died at 12.30pm on March 6, without regaining consciousness.

The coroner said: "The family had to go through great anguish. It was never going to be possible for Nathan to recover."

He said the cause of death was generalised brain injury.

Accident investigator PC Mark Lingard said it was impossible to tell if Nathan had been carried along by the car, or thrown clear on impact.

He said if Nathan was thrown instantly, he would have travelled around 15 metres, meaning the Peugeot was travelling at between 27 and 34 mph.

If he had been carried some way, the speed could have been less.

Ms Hoyle said she did not know what speed she was driving, but it was below the 30mph limit.

Mohammed Safeer, who was driving the taxi, and Mr Ellison both said the Peugeot was probably travelling at below 30mph, but was driving too fast for the area, which is busy with parked cars and children.

The coroner said the accident was inevitable, because Ms Hoyle's view of Nathan's approach was blocked by a fence and two parked cars.

However, he added: "That doesn't excuse drivers from taking account of that and being prepared. Had she been going slower, the accident would have still happened but the consequences would not have been so great."

The coroner will write to Kirklees Council, requesting the speed limit be dropped to 20mph on the estate and asking for speed bumps to be installed.