TRAGEDY struck on the A16 near Louth as two families were on their way home from a junior football match, a Horncastle inquest heard.
At 3.44pm on February 10, the car in which they were travelling and a motor cycle collided as they simultaneously overtook a slower-moving vehicle.
The car’s five occupants escaped injury but the 70-year-old motorcyclist from Woodhall Spa was kill
ed.
A post mortem revealed the cause of death of Eric Howey, of Albany Road, to be multiple injuries compounded by a cardiac condition.
District Coroner Stuart Fisher heard that Nicholas Pocock, 31, a petty officer with the Royal Navy, had been driving home from Grimsby after a children’s football match with his wife Gail and son Matthew, plus their friend, Claire Marks and her son, Kieran.
In evidence, Mr Pocock, of Huttoft, said that after checking his mirror and indicating, he had been overtaking the car in front when he heard a loud bang after which his wife shouted: “Stop, stop!”
He pulled up and went to the aid of Mr Howey who had been lying face down some 20 metres from where the motor bike, a 1,000cc Honda, had come to rest.
Evidence was also heard from Mrs Marks, of Sandilands, and from Barry Bee, of Timberland.
Mr Bee, a fellow biker, said his friend had been riding with dipped headlights and that he recalled having seen him indicate at the same time as he started to overtake the Vectra.
Neither witness was able to confirm or deny with certainty Mr Pocock's testimony that he had indicated prior to the manoeuvre.
After expressing his condolences to the Howey family the Coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.
The full article contains 294 words and appears in Horncastle News newspaper.
