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The death of a young man who suffered fatal injuries when he stepped out in front of an oncoming car has been ruled an accident.
Popular Alex Taylor died after being struck by a light-blue Ford Focus at 3.45am on June 18 in Ramsgate.
An inquest in Maidstone on Tuesday, heard how the 25-year-old, who had a learning disability, was hit by the car as it turned into Boundary Road in the early hours.
The driver of the vehicle told police that he did not see Mr Taylor and he did not know that he had collided with a person until he stepped out of his motor to take a look.
Investigator PC Simon Masterson told the hearing: “From CCTV footage, I was able to establish that the car was travelling at the speed limit.
“On other footage, Mr Taylor appears to continue walking from the footway into the road. He does not appear to stop or hesitate.
“The driver says he did not see Mr Taylor at any time prior to coming into contact with him.”
No drugs or alcohol were found in the driver’s system in subsequent tests carried out by police.
PC Masterson noted his vision of the road may have been impaired by the heavy rain that morning and Mr Taylor’s clothing, which was dark grey.
He also stated there was no evidence to contradict the driver’s claims that the traffic lights at the junction were green, as he tried to turn into Boundary Road.
The officer continued: “Mr Taylor’s clothing was dark and when he moved, he would have become very difficult to see.
“I believe Alex would have been able to see and hear the vehicle coming.
“It is my opinion that the actions of Mr Taylor were the primary cause of the collision.”
The inquest was also told that Alex had been warned multiple times by carers from Thanet House in Ramsgate that he should be more careful when crossing in front of cars.
And in the days leading up to his death, the young man was seen stepping out in front of a vehicle driven by Heather Marsh in Boundary Road.
In a statement read during the hearing, Ms Marsh said: “It was around 7.30am. A male came out in front of me.
“I saw him look at me before he stepped into the road. He had an attitude like, ‘I’m not stopping for you – you’re stopping for me’.”
Ms Marsh realised the pedestrian was Alex after seeing witness appeals shared online following the fatal crash.
Concluding, assistant coroner Sonia Hayes recorded Alex's death as a road traffic accident.
She also noted that a malformation in his brain, which was discovered by pathologists, may have affected his behaviour.
"It may be that Alex did not appreciate the issues of safety on the road and it may well be he did not see the risks," Ms Hayes said.
"I do find that this was an accident. I can't find in any way that the driver was culpable."
Mr Taylor had attended Walmer Science College in Deal and is understood to have moved from the town to Ramsgate in the last few years.
Former Deal Regatta Queen Chantelle Rowley had grown up with the popular young man, who was also known as Alex Denny.
Paying tribute to him shortly after his death, she said: "He was such a lovely forgiving person that a lot of people truly loved and cared for. He really did have a heart of gold."
For more information on how we can report on inquests, click here.
