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Coroner returns accidental death verdict at visiting biker inquest

A court's ruled a 58-year-old visiting motorcyclist's death was an accident.

John Greenwell, a mechanic from Oxfordshire, crashed at the junction of the Creg-ny-Baa Back Road and Honey Hill on August 28 last year.

He was on the Island with a group of friends for the Festival of Motorcycling.

When the inquest opened in September, it heard Mr Greenwell had died from multiple injuries due to a blunt force trauma.

It was the fourth accident on the same corner in a four month period.

Coroner of Inquests John Needham heard Mr Greenwell's front tyre had locked before he went off the road and hit the embankment.

He had no underlying health issues and his bike had been meticulously well maintained.

Chevron signs should have marked the corner, but after an accident in April took them out they had not been replaced, despite being reported.

Even though police had attended three other accidents in the same spot, they hadn't informed the Department of Infrastructure about the missing signs.

An IT error at the DoI also meant when it was reported in May 2014 the matter was not followed up.

Mr Needham recommended immediate measures were taken to repair damaged verge markers at the site, for the DoI to check all high priority cases have been followed up, and for the police and DoI to have a formal system to report roadside damages after collisions.

He returned a verdict of accidental death.

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