A CYCLIST died after crashing into a pedestrian near a busy junction, an inquest heard.

Rider Ben Pedley had just dashed the Wokingham Road/Wilderness Road/Church Road junction in Earley at 24mph as the lights were changing when Nathan Kelsell stepped into the road.

Mr Pedley's bicycle ploughed into Mr Kelsell along Church Road, sending them both flying into the air, with the cyclist landing on his head.

Despite an almost instant response by emergency services, Mr Pedley, 26, suffered catastrophic injuries at the scene and died in hospital two days later on March 22 this year.

Now, a coroner has recommended a pedestrian crossing be installed at Church Road to prevent future deaths.

The Berkshire coroner heard that CCTV footage captured showed Mr Pedley racing past at what was estimated to be 24mph.

Speaking at the inquest at Reading Town Hall on Wednesday, September 6, Mr Pedley's mother Jacquie Pedley accused Mr Kelsell of being 'reckless'.

She said: "We are absolutely devastated. He was an absolute shining light and he has been killed in the prime of his life.

"The fact is that Ben was cycling along the road and a pedestrian, without looking, stepped out in front of him. That has caused his death.

"For his dad and his brother, the main concern is to prevent this happening to somebody else.

"At the moment, there is no law that says that if you step out into a road that you are responsible for your actions.

"When you step into the road, you are responsible for your actions. What that guy did was reckless.

"It was a reckless act, and my son has died as a result of it."

The inquest heard how the Pedley family has launched a campaign to have the law changed.

Mr Pedley's brother, Will, added: "Had Ben survived and been healthy, there would be a chance that he would be prosecuted as a road user.

"Yet there is no commands for a pedestrian, so I have set up a campaign to affect that law in the future."

Dave Hoare, who conducted the vehicle and road examination at the time of the collision, said he believed Mr Pedley's high speed across the junction did contribute to the collision and as a consequence, his death.

He acknowledged residents in the area were concerned about the safety of the junction between Church Road, Wokingham Road and Wilderness Road, due to the lack of a pedestrian crossing on the Church Road side.

He added that Reading councillor Rob White had addressed the issue as a result of complaints from residents in the area.

He quoted: "Residents have raised this issue with me. Sometime ago I contacted Wokingham Council but they did not do anything."

Concluding the case, senior coroner Peter Bedford said: "The consequences of the impact tragically caused Ben to lose his life.

"I do not believe the junction is a factor that contributed to Ben's death.

"I have made a recommendation to the higher authorities that they do make a pedestrian crossing on Church Road.

"I will record that he died as a result of a road traffic collision as a result of a pedestrian stepping into the path of the cyclist who was travelling at a high speed."