A man died after being struck by a BMW as he walked his dog on Christmas Eve, an inquest has heard. Joshua Hellon, 30, was hit by the car as he stepped from between two parked vehicles on Rochdale Road, Middleton.
During an inquest into his death at Rochdale Coroner's Court, coroner Michael Salt read out a statement from Joshua's husband Andrew Hellon, which said that the pair had been excited for Christmas and had been drinking Prosecco and eating pizza. Joshua also wanted to bake a cake, Andrew said.
At around 7.30pm on December 24 2020, they took their dog, Gracie, for a walk and Andrew said the road had been 'very quiet', with 'no traffic'. Mr Hellon said that he had been in front of Joshua and crossed the road, while Joshua was behind with Gracie.
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Andrew recalls Joshua screaming his name but tragically, when he turned back around, he could not see Joshua. He had been struck by a BMW, along with Gracie.
An ambulance rushed Joshua to Royal Oldham Hospital but he was pronounced dead in the early hours of Christmas Day, having suffered unsurvivable injuries.
Greater Manchester Police's (GMP) serious collisions unit investigated the incident but the inquest heard that there was not much CCTV in the area and witnesses only saw parts of the collision. According to a witness living nearby, Joshua had stepped out between two parked vehicles.
The driver told police that he had seen a pedestrian on his nearside, which police took as being Andrew, but he did not see Joshua on his offside.
Investigators said that there was no pedestrian crossing and stated that the damage to the BMW was "not consistent with a high speed impact". Reading out a police report, Mr Salt said: "It is possible that [Joshua] did not assess the risk the vehicle presented."
Following a post mortem, Dr Philip Lumb recorded 'head and spinal injuries' as the cause of Joshua's death. Mr Salt reached a conclusion of 'road traffic collision'.
Joshua was born in North Carolina, USA, but lived with his husband in Middleton and worked as a domestic cleaner. Following his death, Joshua's mum Sabrina Locklear paid tribute to him. She said: "He had the biggest smile, he loved being with his family and friends.
"Joshua always spoke his mind and loved to celebrate and have a good time. He was my best friend, he loved his dogs, music and loved to dance.
"He genuinely brought love and laughter wherever he went. Joshua and his husband were so happy together."
