“After Ben’s death, I never want to ride again.”

Kane Campbell, 17, was speaking to the Mercury yesterday about the worst moments of his young life – watching his friend Benjamin Peterson’s death ride outside his home in Yarrum Avenue.

“I want all young people to know how careful they have to be on the roads,” Kane said.

“If anything we can do or say saves just one more road tragedy, perhaps it will mean Ben’s death might not have been in vain.”

Kane said he had known Ben since he was seven.

“We went to Holy Spirit School in Kurri Kurri together and rode pushbikes around Heddon Greta,” he said.

“In the bush, we would make jumps for our pushbikes.

“Then we turned to motorbikes.

“Ben was a good rider who was ready for anything.”

Kane told how, shortly before the tragedy, they had breakfasted together – and Ben ate six eggs.

“He loved eggs and we shared a laugh about it,” Kane said.

“We were sitting out the back and Ben said he was just going for a ride.

“I asked him: ‘Do you want your helmet?’

“He said: ‘No, I’ll be right.’”

Kane said he was watching with a friend as Ben’s bike hit the gutter and the tragedy unfolded.

“We were trying so hard to get Ben out from under the car,” Kane said.

“He never spoke – I think he was unconscious.

“Ben had ridden down the street heaps of times before and nothing had happened.

“I never had a brother and he was like a brother to me.”