Inquest held for Bishop's Castle teenager Dylan Price

Dylan Price, 17, was lying in the carriageway in Brampton Road, between Lydbury North and Bishop's Castle during the early hours of Sunday morning, September 19, 2021 when a car or van hit his head.

The driver of the vehicle has not come forward to help with the police investigation into the teenager's death despite numerous public appeals.

An inquest at Shirehall, Shrewsbury, on Thursday (May 26) concluded that the teenager died as a result of a road traffic collision.

Senior coroner John Ellery praised Dylan's family and the Bishop's Castle community for their strength since the teenager's tragic death.

"What a loss Dylan is to you at such a young age when everything was in front of him," Mr Ellery said.

Dylan Price, 17, was a much-loved member of Bishop's Castle Rugby Club. Picture by Bishop's Castle RUFC

Dylan’s mum Louise Bristow described her youngest child as a “big softy” with a “cheeky smile” and “everybody’s go-to for a cuddle or a chat”.

The keen rugby player worked as a lifeguard at SpArC in Bishop’s Castle and had planned to do a mechanics apprenticeship though a college and his grandfather’s business.

“The worst has happened it really has," Mrs Bristow said. "He would hate us being upset and that’s what’s kept us going.

“In the last couple of years, he changed and found himself, happy in his own skin and it was lovely to see. He was happy-go-lucky.

“I’m so glad we had Covid because we had him with us and we had so much fun and it was so nice to see him.”

She added: “Please if anyone knows anything, it just doesn’t add up.

“He was devastated when he found out about my cancer. How can it be that I’m still here and he’s not?”

The inquest heard that Dylan had been playing rugby at Bishop's Castle and Onny Valley RFC homeground with his dad on Saturday afternoon, September 18, and later went to the King's Head pub and the Crown and Anchor Vaults pubs. Dylan then went to a house party in Bishop's Castle, then later to another house party just over a mile from the town. He was last seen by his friend William Jones at the party between 2.30am and 3am.

Floral tributes left outside Bishops Castle Rugby Club on Brampton Road..

A toxicology examination after his death found he had alcohol, equivalent to being twice the drink drive limit, and a small amount of cocaine in his system.

Valarie Noel said she was travelling to milk at a farm in Churchstoke when she noticed at about 4.10am what she thought was a pair of white trainers and a bag.

"I sat there and looked at them and thought it was a bit odd. It was Michelmas weekend, and you do see strange things on the road. I did consider going out and have a look.

"I'm so sorry that I didn't," she told the family who were present at the inquest.

"It looked nothing like a body. If it had, I would have got out."

The inquest heard that Christopher Rowson found Dylan's body in the middle of the road at about 5.05am. After phoning 999, Mr Rowson was told to carry out CPR on Dylan.

Collision investigator police constable Simon Yuille told the inquest that there was no plastic found on the road from a vehicle that would be typically found following a collision. He said the ABS marks on the road were from a car or van that would not have been travelling at a significantly low or high speed.

"They would have realised something had happened," PC Yuille said of the driver.

Detective Inspector Joanne Delahay took over the criminal investigation which involved police officers visiting local garages for any vehicles with damage, and looking for motives as to who would want to hurt Dylan.

"We had no reports of a fight or any animosity or that he’d fallen out with anyone," she said. "Everybody described him as a sociable person who got on with everybody. He was happy and enjoyed the rugby match. I’ve learnt that the community is close knit and people talk and it would get back to the family and then to us the police."

DI Delahay added: "I would like to say how disappointed I am not to have found the driver. We won’t stop. It is not something that ends. We will always follow information but it is very difficult with no witnesses and camera footage."

Summing up his findings, senior coroner John Ellery told the family that Dylan died as a result of a road traffic collision and offered them his condolences for their tragic loss.

"I make no finding as to why, how, when and how long he was lying in the road," he said. "I can't fill those gaps but somebody or some people know. The inquest may close but the police would continue to work on lines of inquiry."