Man stayed with dying son after 4x4 lost control

The father of a nine-year-old boy who died at an off-roading driving expedition in Worcestershire has recalled losing grip of his son's hand as their vehicle flipped over.

Jake Allen, from Telford, Shropshire, died from a head injury when a heavily-modified Land Rover Discovery lost control on Coney Green Farm in Stourport.

Jake’s father, Simon Allen, said he tried to grab his son but he was "pulled from my hand" as he was thrown from the vehicle.

“I stayed with, calling his name, hoping he would answer me,” recalled Mr Allen.

Speaking at Worcestershire Coroner’s Court on Tuesday, Mr Allen said he had "no idea" why the vehicle stalled, telling coroner David Reid he had been modifying cars and driving off-road for many years, often with his son.

On the 24 September 2022, he had organised a get together at the farm and was travelling with Jake, his partner, and two other young girls, including his daughter, when he lost control.

He said the farm had strict rules on off-road meets, telling the coroner nobody could travel faster than five or 10 miles per hour, and everyone must wear seatbelts.

"Jake had been off-roading with me since he was about two, he loved it," he said.

"It was a track that is used often, it was very smooth uphill, I would not have been able to do it even in second gear.

"I had gone up it many times, both forward and in reverse.

"We set off uphill but suddenly got to a point where it broke traction, the wheels started to spin.

"The car stalled and it cut out - I had no idea why it stalled. I restarted the car and put it into reverse, and tried to straighten up the car but it stalled again.

"That is when it started rolling backwards."

He added: "I remember hearing a bang, it was a big bang that turned the vehicle over."

Fighting back tears, he said he remembered seeing Jake reaching for the seatbelt in the back before they drove off, but could not be sure it was clicked into place.

"He would have told me, if I had set off without him being able to put the belt on," he said.

"He would often tell me to wear mine if I didn’t have it on myself. He was always wearing one."

A post-mortem found that Jake had died from head injuries.

Mr Reid concluded that the young boy had been killed as a result of an accident.

He said he was satisfied the off-road track was “not an unlawful event, in any way”.

He added it was impossible to conclude why the vehicle had stalled as it was going uphill.

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