On June 8, 2023, a tragic accident occurred in Salford when 15-year-old Saul Cookson collided with an ambulance while riding an e-bike. The inquest into his death began on January 6, 2024, at Bolton Coroner's Court.

Before the crash, Saul was being pursued by police in a marked car. He rode through a set of bollards that the patrol vehicle could not navigate, just moments before crashing into the ambulance on Langworthy Road.

Emergency responders from the ambulance and the police acted quickly to assist Saul, who was subsequently transported to Salford Royal Hospital. Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead at 2.36 pm.

In a heartfelt statement, Saul's mother Emma Frendo described him as "a doting and generous son," recalling how he would save money to buy gifts for special occasions. The coroner, Mike Pemberton, read her tribute, highlighting their cherished family traditions, such as attending a football match together every Boxing Day.

Emma expressed the family's profound loss and spoke of Saul's dreams to attend college and pursue a trade. The family displayed personal photographs of Saul for the coroner and jury, with the coroner noting he would keep these images in mind as the inquest proceeded.

Ambulance Driving at Normal Speed

Testimony revealed that Saul had maneuvered through the bollards right before colliding with the ambulance, which was operated by paramedic Laura Jones along with colleagues Aaron Fitzpatrick and student paramedic Olivia Green. Ms. Green stated that they were traveling at regular road speed, approximately 30 mph, when the incident occurred.

Ms. Green, who was in the back of the ambulance, described feeling an impact but could not see what had occurred. An eyewitness, postman Shaidur Rahman, remarked that the ambulance seemed to be moving slowly as Saul's e-bike approached at a high speed, suggesting he did not anticipate the ambulance's presence.

The court reviewed dashcam footage from the police vehicle, CCTV, and ambulance camera footage, confirming Saul's high-speed approach through the bollards before the collision. The impact propelled him from the e-bike.

Following Saul's death, the community expressed their sorrow with numerous tributes, including flowers and messages at the crash site. Hundreds attended his funeral, which featured Father Frankie Mulgrew blessing mourners while riding an e-bike.

Medical evidence presented by consultant histopathologist Dr. Usha Chandran indicated a cause of death due to traumatic injuries, with cannabis found in Saul's system unconnected to the cause of death. Dr. Chandran revised the provisional cause of death after hearing testimonies about Saul's cannabis use, confirming it was no longer a significant factor.

Furthermore, police officer Steven Pennington, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, found cannabis on Saul at the time of his death. He testified about discovering individual wraps of green substance during the investigation.

The week-long inquest continues before a jury.