A FORMER professional jockey made three bids to cross a busy city road before a collision with a vehicle ended his life, an inquest heard yesterday.
Steven Tom Wilson, of Kingswood Avenue, Saughall, was killed after being hit by a car on the A540 Parkgate Road, Saughall, on Saturday, December 20, 2008.
The Chester inquest was told Mr Wilson, 51, had been drinking at the Wheatsheaf pub till about 5pm before staff declined to serve him any more drinks.
No-one saw him leave the pub, where he worked part-time as a cleaner, but a witness watched as Mr Wilson tried to cross the road twice without success between 4.30pm and 5pm.
A short time later, friend Matthew Lodi found Mr Wilson lying on the ground near a hedge.
Giving evidence, Mr Lodi said he had helped Mr Wilson, who had several bags of shopping with him, to his feet.
Mr Wilson assured Mr Lodi he was fine to walk home but Mr Lodi was so concerned that he went into the Wheatsheaf pub to alert staff about Mr Wilson’s condition.
By the time Mr Lodi and a couple of staff members had gone outside to find Mr Wilson, the accident had already taken place, at about 5.25pm.
Mr Wilson suffered serious head and neck injuries in the collision and was rushed by ambulance to the Countess of Chester Hospital.
He was then transferred to Walton Neurological Hospital in Liverpool but pronounced dead two days later.
Despite numerous appeals, detectives have never been able to locate the driver of the vehicle. Police are still urging any witnesses who may have information leading to the identification of the driver to call Chester CID on 0845 458 0000 or Crimestoppers hotline on 0800 555 111.
PC Michael Prime, of the Cheshire Police collision investigation unit, said at the time of the accident the weather was damp but clear.
When he arrived he saw a dark coloured coat and a piece of dark plastic close to the centre white line in the Chester-bound lane.
He added: “His face had taken a primary impact so he may have been stooped in the street when he was struck.
“The pieces of plastic debris found at the scene seemed to be from a car. No formal evidence has linked the debris at the scene to him.
“An impact of this type would have been obvious to a driver. I think the debris is certainly not consistent with being from a larger vehicle.”
Mr Wilson, who was unmarried, lived with his elderly widowed mother Mary.
He began training as a jump jockey in 1972 and was trained by David Gandolfo in Wantage, Oxfordshire.
He then went onto take part in numerous races and won Fontwell in 1978.
Steven, who was known by friends and family as ‘The Jockey’, also worked part-time as a litter picker in Mollington.
He went to Thomas Wedge Junior School in Church Road, Saughall, and then onto High school at Stanney High School, Ellesmere Port, now Cheshire Oaks High School.
Pathologist Brian Rodgers said the cause of death was severe head and neck injuries.
Deputy assistant coroner for Cheshire, Michael Walbank, recorded a verdict of misadventure.