A team of doctors battled for more than three hours to save the life of crash victim Ewan Sampson, an inquest has heard.

Mr. Sampson, 17, died from massive multiple injuries after colliding head on with a truck while riding along Middle Road, Southampton, on the afternoon of April 21.

Following the collision, the unconscious Saltus Grammar School student from Sun Valley Road, Warwick, was rushed to the emergency unit of the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital where staff worked frantically to resuscitate him.

Giving evidence at yesterday's inquest, emergency physician Dr. Constance Richards broke down as she recounted how her team battled to save the young man's life after he stopped breathing.

"There was bruising to the right upper chest and a heart examination showed that his heart was beating at 160,'' Dr. Richards said.

"That was a little too fast -- he was young and healthy and normally you would expect it to beat at about 70.

"Basically he then just shook all over and stopped breathing. We maintained his heart beat for a short while but lost that soon after.'' Dr. Richards explained how doctors then spent the next few hours trying to re-start Mr. Sampson's heart by opening up his chest and massaging it manually after he failed to respond to drugs.

But three hours and 40 minutes after being admitted to hospital, Mr. Samspon was pronounced dead. A post-mortem examination revealed that he died from massive head and chest injuries.

The inquest also heard from delivery driver John McCarg, who was behind the wheel of the van which collided with Mr. Sampson's cycle.

Mr. McCarg told coroner Archie Warner how he spotted Mr. Sampson coming towards him as he travelled east along Middle Road near the junction with Plumber Lane.

"As I approached the right-hand bend I saw a boy coming towards me,'' Mr.

McCarg said.

"I saw him straighten up and looking as though he was trying to kick something with his left leg.

"My first reaction was to pull over to the left. I then remember him flying up into the windscreen, onto the bonnet and then down onto the sidewalk. As soon as he hit me I slammed on the brakes. He wasn't speeding or nothing, but it all happened so quickly -- maybe just a matter of seconds.

Earlier, gas station attendant Leonette Steede, in a written statement to the inquest, explained how Mr. Sampson had stopped at the Southampton Shell station to get some petrol just minutes before the fatal crash.

Ms Steede went on to say that Mr. Sampson appeared to be in a hurry and, rather than wait for an attendant, filled his own vehicle.

Two other witnesses travelling in cars in front and behind Mr. McCarg said they believed all three vehicles were travelling at about 40kph when the impact happened.

Janet Burke-Lang, who was travelling in front of Mr. McCarg and saw the impact in her rear view mirror, said: "As I negotiated the right-hand bend I saw a young boy.

"I remember thinking he was very close to the centre line and I didn't think he was going to make the corner. He should have been leaning over into the bend but he was upright. I remember looking into his face and he looked startled. I knew the truck was behind me and there wasn't going to be enough space for the cycle to miss it. The whole accident took just seconds to happen.'' The inquest is expected to conclude this afternoon.