Villagers and medics have told how they fought in vain to save the life of a 14-year-old cyclist when he was in collsion with a van near Marlborough.

Marlborough College summer school student Kadian Harding received what an emergency practitioner described as “massive catastrophic injuries” after the accident at Clatford.

Kadian, who had been brought up in the USA and was spending the summer in England at Petersfield in Hampshire, was cycling with his father Thomas, sister, Sam, and a group of friends from the summer school.

They had ridden along the Ridgeway and were heading towards Avebury as they road down the green lane that runs from the car park at Manton Down stables to the A4 at Clatford, emerging opposite the West Woods turning.

Kadian’s bicycle was in collision on Wednesday last week at about 5.50pm with a Mercedes Sprinter van driven by a 32-year-old man who is from the Melksham area.

Residents from cottages at the side of the footpath heard screams that alerted them to the collision and ran to help the injured boy who was thrown about 50 yards along the road after being struck by the van which was heading towards Fyfield.

Other drivers and the residents fought to keep the boy alive using cardiopulmonary resuscitation under the direction of Great Western Ambulance control until paramedics arrived and the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

Tim Doidge, who has lived by the crossroads for 12 years and works as a presentations consultant, said: “The first I knew of it was when I heard this terrible scream that came from a woman who had obviously seen what happened.”

Mr Doidge said the boy was wearing a cycle helmet and was leading the group of riders.

He said: “They were obviously not familiar with this area and did not realise there was a main road at the bottom of the lane.”

An ambulance was on the scene within six minutes , followed by Dr James Mapstone from SWIFT Medics who attended as the on-call emergency practitioner.

He said: “He clearly had massive catastrophic injuries but despite giving full resuscitation we could not get his heart to re-start.

“He had a truly un-surviveable set of injuries and we did everything humanly possible to save him, we could not have had any more resources working on him.”

Kadian was formally identified at an inquest opened in Salisbury on Friday by the Wiltshire Coronor David Ridley.

The teenager lived in Shepherdstown in West Virginia, where a vigil organised by two of his friends was held outside his former home on the night following the tragedy.

Sgt Richard Moorhouse, from the serious accident investigation team, appealed for any witnesses who had not already been interviewed by officers to contact the investigation team. They should call 101 and go to extension 7203112.

Jon Copp, director of the summer school, said: “Kadian and his sister Sam were attending courses at this year’s event along with several friends.

“On behalf of Jonathan Leigh the Master of Marlborough College, members of the college council and the entire summer school staff, I would like to pass on our deepest sympathy to the Harding family for their devastating loss.”