Preston Coroner records verdict of accidental death
AN INQUEST into a fatal motorcycle accident has heard how a biker lost control of his machine after colliding with a pheasant.
Ian Bottomley, 52, died as a result of swerving into an embankment after a flying pheasant hit his crash helmet. The father-of-two crashed on the A683, near Lancaster on May 10 2008.
Witness David Farraday of Ingleton, near Lancaster, arrived at the scene moments after the crash to find Mr Bottomley lying motionless in the road. He said: "There was a bike and still a lot of dust coming up, then I saw Mr Bottomley in the road."
PC Rachel Killinger, who was the first police officer to arrive at the scene, said: "The pheasant was pointed out to us by other members of the public. There were feathers around Mr Bottomley and certainly some on his helmet."
The inquest heard he had been travelling between 67mph and 77mph on a road with a maximum speed of 60mph but that speed was not a factor in the accident.
Specialist accident investigation officer, PC Adrian Harrison, said: "The bird was definitely airborne. My opinion is it was flying and it was coming from one side. Instinctively there is a good chance he has flinched and tried to move."
Recording a verdict of accidental death, assistant deputy Preston coroner, Derek Baker, said: "This could not have been anticipated, nothing could have been done to prevent it. This was a pure accident."
Jeeez... these birds are soooo dopey! and so dangerous to bikers!
Lets have more pheasant culling!
RIP biker dude
makes you wonder why we ride the thing's the amount of hazard's around that can have us off !!riding in the country i try to moderate speed as i have been surprised by wildlife like deer pheasant's an rabbits running out! an of course its cars coming toward you that can swerve out to miss something to!!not to mention mud an grit an cow slurry horses an slippery wet leaves this time of yr!! crikey its dangerous out there!! ride careful folks!
Yep. Had to boot a sheep out of my way before.
This loony mutton-mousaka wannabe suddenly sprang from the bushes and sped toward me. Whilst I was able to miss it, the stupid thing would still be coming on and I was lead bike. Several others were behind me and I daresay the rest of the flock would be following this moron very shortly.
So a boot to the shoulder, s/he turned tail and ran and the road was cleared for the rest of us. It was at a low speed, cos we were on the twisties, so no animals were harmed.
Still worrying, though!!
A little scary actually, isn't it. I am sure we have all had very similar incidents; I for one had a pigeon bounce off my helmet once and I too ducked (pardon the pun) to try and avoid the poor fella.
That could have easily have been me in the side of that embankment; although you will never, ever, ever find me travelling over the speed limit! That would be illegal!
well i have cooked roadkill!!a lovely fat pheasant freshly ran down! only the head damaged!!bootiful with a nice merlot!! [or was that a peasant served with faver beans!]
Just missed a stag at twice the legal limit [mph] the draught [wind] pushed me across the road, no jokes about horns please. No officer i was not on the public road Honest.
The brackets are for the drinkers
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