THE tragic death of a teenage student remains a mystery after a coroner was unable to discover why he was in the road before colliding with a 4x4 vehicle.

Max Tendler died instantly after walking into traffic on the Upton bypass on January 8, district coroner Sheriff Payne was told.

A Bournemouth inquest heard the 19-year-old was upset after a disagreement with his girlfriend.

It was also suggested that he may have been trying to cross the road to get a signal on his mobile phone to report that he had been involved in an accident minutes earlier.

Recording an open verdict, Mr Payne said: “This is a difficult and sad case – clearly a lot of people have been affected by it. “I can’t be sure that he intended to end his life – I can’t describe it as an accident either.”

The coroner heard that Max, of Twin Oaks Close, Broadstone, struck the central reservation several times in his green Seat Ibiza before the vehicle veered off the road on to a verge at around 1pm.

Witnesses saw him get out of the car and he told other motorists he was fine before walking into the road in front of an articulated lorry and a Toyota Land Cruiser.

A passenger in the Land Cruiser, Tracy King of Milborne St Andrew told the inquest: “He openly faced us and appeared to be adamant in jumping in front of us.”

Accident investigator Sergeant James Allmond said the evidence “indicates quite clearly that the pedestrian progressed into the car”.

The incident happened on the eastbound carriageway of the A35, just after the Bakers Arms roundabout. Max suffered a fractured skull and died of a brain haemorrhage, the coroner heard.

Max, a former pupil of Corfe Hills School and Bournemouth and Poole College, was hoping to study biology at university and was a keen sportsman, playing in goal for Broadstone Football Club.

A statement from his family after the inquest said: “We accept that we may never know exactly what happened. However, we do know that Max successfully steered the damaged car from the central reservation to the nearside verge and witnesses said that Max reassured them he was fine and was going to phone the AA. They saw him using his phone and the police found his AA card on the passenger seat.

“Clearly Max was in shock after the accident when he made his fatal error of judgement.

“He was very physically fit and would have considered himself capable of crossing the road in order to get a signal on his mobile phone.

“Max was highly respected. He was a popular student who could always be relied upon to raise a laugh.

“He was a very kind and generous person, always willing to support others. His untimely death has left his family devastated.”