‘Precious’ boy fell underneath lorry as he rode bike to school, inquest hears

A “precious” 13-year-old boy stumbled and fell underneath a lorry as he rode his bike to school with a friend, an inquest has heard.

Hussein Quig-Diop, from Burton-on-Trent, suffered traumatic head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene on Shobnall Road on September 13 last year.

An inquest into Hussein’s death at Stoke Town Hall on Thursday was told witnesses saw the John Taylor Free School pupil lose his balance and go “straight forward” over the handlebars of his bicycle as an HGV was making a left turn into the road from the junction with Wellington Road at around 8.30am.

HGV driver Roy Sibblies told the inquest he was “devastated” at what happened and that he would “turn back the clock in a heartbeat” if he could.

In a statement, he explained that as he was approaching the junction, he had seen Hussein and another boy riding their bicycles on the pavement and while the older child had gone straight across the junction, Hussein stopped at the edge of the road and had his foot on the floor.

He said: “As I was exiting the roundabout left, I was satisfied he was going to stay on the pavement.

“As I turned, I saw him on the ground at the rear of the trailer. At first I thought he had fallen but then I had the sickening feeling he wasn’t going to get up.”

He added: “I couldn’t think straight, I was in utter shock and I felt numb.

“I asked the police how old he was. He was a similar age to one of my grandsons.

“I can’t explain how devastated I feel. I will never get over this.”

Hussein’s mother Kimberley Quig told the inquest the bicycle her son was riding had been given to him by a friend and he was using it to get to and from school after the bus he used to take had been cancelled.

She told the inquest she had “promised” she would buy him a new one for Christmas and that she was unaware of any defects with the bike he was using.

Pc Daniel Sutton, a forensic collision investigator with Staffordshire Police, told the court the bicycle may have been too big for Hussein, which may have contributed to his fall into the road.

He added that the HGV was in the correct road position, had no defects and had only reached a maximum speed of 16mph, according to its dashcam, while Hussein’s bike did not have a rear brake.

Emma Serrano, area coroner, said neither Hussein nor Mr Sibblies could be blamed for the incident and recorded the teenager’s death as a road traffic collision.

She said: “Hussein fell in to the road as Mr Sibblies is driving his lorry. There is no suggestion either were at fault.

“Hussein was on the pavement and for whatever reason, he has fallen into the road at exactly the wrong time.”

In a statement released after his death, his family said: “Hussein Quig-Diop, precious son of Roy and Kimberley, best big brother of Yussuf and Raymon and a much-loved grandson, nephew, cousin and friend to many, sadly lost his life tragically on September 13 2023.

“We are all absolutely devastated and he’ll be missed more than we can put into words. He’s now the brightest star in the sky alongside his big brother Reagan.

“We want to thank the community for all the love and support during this time and ask that our privacy to be respected whilst we grieve.”