A cricketer who “was a true gentleman who lit up a room with his wit and personality” died after suffocating when a car drove over him in a dark alleyway.

Jake Neary, 31, died following the collision in Rawtenstall on July 26 after a night out with friends at nearby bars, an inquest at Preston Coroner's Court heard.

The solicitor was a gifted sportsman and played cricket for numerous clubs in the area, who all left tributes following his death.

Cards and tributes were left at the scene in Rawtenstall after the crash in JulyCards and tributes were left at the scene in Rawtenstall after the crash in July (Image: Lancashire Police)

A statement prepared by his family and read out by coroner Kate Bisset said: “Jake was kind, sensitive and was naturally gifted in sports. He always took the time to talk to others."

Cards and letters left in tribute at the scene of his death described him as "witty, charismatic and someone who lit up the room with his unforgettable personality".

Additionally, eight statements were provided by friends of Jake and one described him as “a true legend, he truly was my best mate and was one of a kind”.

Another said: “There is not enough paper in the world to make a fitting tribute to him.

"He left everyone he met with a smile. He was the loveliest lad with an amazing bowling arm and smile.”

The inquest heard how, having recently returned from a golfing trip with his good friend Joel Duncan, they were socialising at Casked in Bury Road, Rawtenstall.

Mr Duncan left at around 10.25pm, after which Jake met up with family friends and joined them for another drink.

He was described as seeming intoxicated but was not slurring his speech or struggling to walk.

Despite being offered a taxi home, Jake declined and walked off and sat in an alleyway, just off Parramatta Street.

A resident of the road had seen Jake lay down in the alleyway while having a cigarette, but chose not to interact with him due to having issues in the past with people in the area.

Coroner Kate Bisset said: “It is not clear as to why he lay down in the road and in any event it is tragic.”

She added that Jake was a very happy young man with a bright future ahead of him, who was 'not trying to hurt himself and quite the opposite as he sat in a quiet street rather than a main road'. 

Whilst lying in the alley, a man referred to as Mr Bailey was looking for somewhere to park his vehicle before he went to meet his friend at Tiger Bar.

Unable to find a space in Parramatta Street, he drove his white Audi into the back alley, and due to poor lighting, was unable to see Jake lying in the road.

When he put his car into reverse it did not move, and he heard a man call out, “help me”.

After first trying to lift the car up to no avail, he ran to get help, whilst calling the emergency services.

A statement from Mr Bailey said: “I had good visibility, I was not distracted and the wing mirror had nothing to view.

“I owned the car for four years, I was rested and alert and had not been drinking.

"I was later given the news he had died, I am still shocked, and I will never forget this.”

Mr Bailey did not attend the inquest out of courtesy to Jake's family as he did not want to cause any unnecessary distress.

PC Rachel Carberry, from Lancashire Police, provided evidence on behalf of her colleague who was unable to attend the hearing.

She explained the road where the tragic incident occurred had some lighting, two street lights at either end of the 50m long road.

However, where the incident took place there was no lighting and while it was noted that the vehicle had been moved upwards and downwards, there was no evidence of the car moving backwards and forwards.

PC Carberry said: “There are no defects or faults with the vehicle that could have contributed to the collision.

“The CCTV footage does show [the driver] took four seconds which would indicate a very slow manoeuvre.

"The alleyway is quite narrow and can be difficult to turn in at any significant speed.

“Mr Neary was laid with his feet towards Parramatta Street and his head away which means the driver could only see his feet.

 “The driver would struggle to recognise something was there.

“When it comes to recognition, drivers need a contrast. A dark object on a dark background is very difficult to recognise, and something low in the road is hard to recognise and a lack of movement can cause difficulties in seeing the hazard.”

A post-mortem examination conducted by Simon Beardmore found no injury to Jake's organs or fractures, and it was found that he died as a result of positional asphyxia – a lack of oxygen caused by the position he was trapped in.

Coroner Bissett concluded Jake died as a result of a road traffic collision.