A two-year Met Police investigation ended with no charges being brought against the driver of a Land Rover that hit the boy, reports James Cracknell

North London Coroner's Court — North London Coroner’s Court

An eight-year-old boy hit by a car in Winchmore Hill died after running into a road with the driver having no time to avoid colliding with him, an inquest has heard.

Merlin Rreshka died from the “severe traumatic brain injury” he received when he was hit by the Land Rover in Compton Road on Friday, 28th April 2023, the inquest at North London Coroner’s Court in Barnet heard today (Wednesday 8th).

Coroner PA Murphy revealed at the hearing that a two-year Metropolitan Police investigation had found no evidence to suggest the driver should be charged with causing the boy’s death.

The inquest had been repeatedly delayed to allow time for the Met Police to conclude its investigation, which it finally did this summer.

CCTV footage of the incident had been used by the police to calculate how much time the driver would have had to react to the boy running out into the middle of Compton Road from behind a parked car, just as the Land Rover turned into the street from Green Lanes.

The evidence suggested the driver had only 1.2 seconds to see the boy and avoid hitting him, which he tried and failed to do.

There was also no evidence the vehicle was speeding, that the driver was intoxicated, or that he was distracted, according to the Met Police report read out at the inquest. In fact, the vehicle had only been travelling at around 10mph at the moment of impact with Merlin.

Recent changes to the road layout at the junction of Compton Road and Green Lanes, to accommodate a cycle lane, were also determined to have not been a factor in the boy’s death.

In conclusion, Murphy said: “There was simply not enough time for the driver of the Land Rover to stop the car. There is no criticism of the driver. It was clear for him to turn [into Compton Road] before he suddenly saw a child. The child had come from his right and the first time he saw him he was in front of his car.

“He [the driver] tried to swerve and stop, but everything happened very quickly. He expressed extreme remorse and sorrow [for hitting Merlin].”

The coroner also mentioned that Merlin had “received timely medical care” but that his brain injury was “unsurvivable”.

His verdict was accidental death.

Merlin was born in Albania but was living in Winchmore Hill at the time of his death and was attending a local primary school. His parents did not attend the inquest and could not be contacted by the Dispatch for this story.

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