Schoolboy, 11, died after being thrown from car on the way home from church on Boxing Day
A SCHOOLBOY died after being thrown from a car in a horror crash on the way home from church on Boxing Day, an inquest heard.
Alfie Aiello-Da Cruz, 11, was travelling with his mum Anna Aiello, dad Marco Da Cruz and younger sister when the tragedy unfolded.
Marco was driving the red Nissan Qashqai when he crashed into a barrier on the M3 at Junction 11 near Winchester.
An inquest heard Alfie, who was wearing a seatbelt, was “ejected” through a window as the car rolled.
He died instantly after suffering a blow to his dead during the horror on Boxing Day 2021.
The inquest heard dad Marco can’t remember the crash but a late manoeuvre and poor road conditions were blamed for the accident.
There was intermittent fog which may have had an effect on driving conditions and “likely distorted” his distance perception.
Police crash investigator PC Robert Giles said: “The fog was not sufficiently thick to obscure the road signs, but it is likely that it made the junction seem further away.
“No defects were identified in the vehicle.”
The inquest was told Alfie suffered a significant head injury and multiple other injuries.
Dr Samantha Holden, consultant paediatric pathologist at Southampton General Hospital, said his death would have been “very rapid”.
Ruling Alfie died due to a road traffic collision, Area coroner Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp said the “psychiatric impact of this on both parents has been catastrophic”.
She said: “Alfie’s suffering would have been limited because he would have died immediately.
“It is a tragic accident that occurred here and resulted in Alfie’s death.”
The schoolboy’s heartbroken parents both attended the inquest in Winchester.
In a previous tribute, they said: “Our beloved Alfie. We were so lucky to have you in our lives, giving us brightness, joy, love and happiness.
“Now that you have been taken away from us so suddenly and at such a young age, just 11 years-old, we are going to miss you forever.
“We will carry in our hearts your love for all of our lives, until our last breath, and we hope that one day we will meet in God’s heaven to give you the last hug that we wished to have given to you before you left.
“We love you and always will.”