Gallant taxi driver Rodney Hall was killed as he crossed the road to do a favour for a passenger, an inquest heard.

Mr Hall, 55, of Lonsdale Road, Southend, died from head injuries after being hit by a Fiesta in East Street, Prittlewell as he volunteered to help out his passenger, Miss Kay Hawkins, a London commuter.

Her statement, read to a Southend inquest, revealed she had parked her car near Prittlewell station to get the train to London. But when she returned at the end of the day, she found the car's battery flat.

Miss Hawkins needed to collect her baby from the child minder and called a taxi to help her get there as soon as possible.

Her partner advised her to return to her stranded car and leave the ignition keys on the wheel, so he could pick it up later.

When she asked Mr Hall if they could go to her car to do this, he agreed and offered to put the keys in place himself while she stayed in the taxi with the baby.

He double-parked his taxi near Miss Hawkins' car, but the traffic built up so quickly that he turned into nearby Oakhurst Road to briefly leave the vehicle.

When he did not return to the taxi after a few minutes, Miss Hawkins began to get worried and was then told there had been an accident.

Fiesta driver Mr Andreas Anastasiou said he was 100 metres from the roundabout of East Street and Sutton Road when he was suddenly aware of a shadow coming from his right "and then the body of a person over my bonnet."

Shocked Mr Anastasiou found Mr Hall unconscious.

Police traffic investigator PC Christopher Black calculated Mr Anastasiou was driving at no more than 25mph at the time.

Southend Coroner Dr Peter Dean, who recorded a verdict of accidental death, said: "This all happened after Mr Hall acted in a quite a gallant manner trying to help out one of his passengers."

Gallant cabbie - Rodney Hall

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