A TEENAGER was accidentally killed when he was hit by a taxi as he ran across the road, an inquest concluded this morning.

Morgan Ackerman died in hospital from a traumatic head injury on January 4.

The 16-year-old - described as "always joking" by his family - died from his injuries in hospital after the collision with the taxi the night before.

The inquest heard how he had been out with his friends on the night of January 3, and was due home at 10.30pm.

He had texted his mother at around 10.20pm to say he was just around the corner and would be home soon.

But whilst walking along Barry Road with two of his friends, he had decided to play a game which involved tapping on the windows of houses and running away.

The college student then ran down the street in a westerly direction, stopping near a betting shop where he moved between two parked cars.

One of his friends told him not to run out into the street, it was said, but he did and he collided with a taxi near the junction with Llewellyn Street.

Friend Ethan Tierney, 16, said: "We were messing around. Morgan suggested playing the game. He knocked on the house and ran off down the road.

"I shouted to him to stop because I could see the headlights of the car turning into the road.

"But he didn't stop and ran out between two parked cars. He was hit and landed heavily on the road."

The white Skoda Octavia taxi had pulled out of a side street onto Barry Road shortly before and was travelling down the centre of the carriageway to avoid parked cars.

A statement read out from the vehicle's driver, Anthony Hewlett, said he had been driving for 17 years and had just completed a job taking passengers home from bingo.

He said he was very familiar with the roads, and added in his statement: "The weather was fine, dry and the visibility was good.

"I was doing about 20 mph and in third gear. A person shot out and I broke but I could not avoid the person who crashed into the windscreen."

Mr Hewlett said he phoned an ambulance straight away, and gave a statement to police before being breathalysed. The results were negative.

Gareth Davies, a senior forensic collision investigator who investigated the incident, said he estimated the taxi was travelling between 22 and 25 mph at the time of the collision and that he had found no defects with the vehicle or surface that would have contributed to the crash.

"The driver reacted very quickly and could not have reasonably anticipated the collision," he added.

A statement read out from Morgan's mother, Leanne Sweet, called him a "typical teenage boy".

"He was loved by everyone who knew him and he did not have a worry in the world," she added.

"He was happy and full of life."

Coroner Phillip Spinney recorded a conclusion that his death was accidental.

"The boys had been walking along the road tapping on windows and doors. Morgan was running at the front and the taxi driver was unable to avoid the collision. It was clearly a tragic accident," he added.