A BELOVED teenager sadly died in a road traffic collision, an inquest heard.

Denny Richardson died in the crash on Leigh Road, Canvey at 8.05pm on May 2 last year.

The 17-year-old had been driving a motorbike with a friend when the bike struck a car that was reversing out of its drive.

The inquest, held today at Essex Coroner's Court in Chelmsford, heard that the motorbike had been travelling at 63 miles an hour, while the speed limit on the road is 30.

Denny and his friend were thrown from the bike and landed on the road.

Paramedics attended the scene, but tragically confirmed he had passed away.

A post mortem examination carried out at Southend Hospital found a cause of death to be traumatic head, chest and abdominal injuries.

Speaking at the inquest, Denny's mother Sam Ramplin questioned why the driver of the reversing car had not heard the motorbike approaching.

She said: "Why didn't he hear the motorbike? We can hear them come, we have all got eyes and ears, we can all hear it.

"It's one of my questions that will haunt me.

"That bike was not like a normal bike, the engine was really loud.

"How he did not hear that? Is he partial of hearing? It's a question that I'm not going to get an answer to."

Denny was previously described as a "free spirit" and "independent and strong" by his family.

In July last year, more than 200 people attended his funeral in St Mary's Church, Benfleet.