A coroner has concluded that cannabis and cocaine did not play a significant role in the ‘very tragic’ death of a Sandiway motorcyclist.
Although traces of both substances were found in Gareth Worrall’s system, assistant coroner for Cheshire Alan Moore found that Worrall had been driving ‘perfectly safely’ before he collided with a van on Dalefords Lane in Northwich on September 11 last year.
The 26-year-old kitchen assistant, who lived on Blake Lane, sustained multiple injuries in the collision and sadly passed away at Leighton Hospital that same day.
An inquest into Mr Worrall’s death, held at Warrington Coroners Court on Thursday (January 28), heard that he was overtaking a line of traffic when he struck a Renault van which was turning right into Lamb Cottage Caravan Park.
Overtaking manoeuvre
Eye-witness Liam Reynolds, who used to work with Mr Worrall, was also out riding his motorbike that morning.
He told the hearing that it was a dry, bright morning and the sun was glaring on to the visor of his motorbike helmet.
He and Mr Worrall were side by side at a set of traffic lights but he overtook his former colleague.
Mr Worrall was then directly behind Mr Reynolds as they headed in the direction of Winsford along Dalefords Lane and ahead of Mr Reynolds was a Ford Focus C-Max and the Renault van was up front.
He recalled that he saw both vehicles slowing, because the van was turning right.
Mr Reynolds said the van was travelling ‘very slowly’ as it performed the manoeuvre and believed there was nothing the van driver could have done to avoid the crash.
Eye-witness account of off-duty police officer
Driving the Ford Focus was Peter Bennett, a Cheshire Constabulary sergeant at the time who was on his way to work.
Describing van driver Michael Tickle’s right turn as a ‘very slow, gentle manoeuvre’, Mr Bennett said he also believed Mr Tickle was powerless to prevent the collision.
“Reading what was happening in the road, I think it would have been pretty clear that someone was turning,” he said.
“The manner of the motorcyclists’ driving up until that point was without question.”
Mr Bennett said Mr Worrall was conscious and breathing initially, but as his condition deteriorated Mr Bennett had to administer CPR.
Mr Tickle told the inquest he did not see either motorcyclist and the first time he was aware of Mr Worrall was when the bike hit the van.
Expert evidence
PC Robert Wilson, a collision investigator, conducted a reconstruction of the incident.
He agreed that Mr Tickle would have been unable to see Mr Worrall, but said he was unable to comment on what view Mr Worrall would have had.
Forensic toxicologist Dr Colin Seneviratne found low concentrations of cocaine and cannabis in blood and urine samples taken from Mr Worrall.
But he said it is not possible to work out when they were taken or what effects the drugs would have been having on Mr Worrall at the time of the incident.
Mr Worrall’s mother Yvonne Lewis said she knew he smoked cannabis ‘from time to time’ because it helped with the depression he had suffered on and off since 2011, but was not aware of his cocaine use.
She said they had coffee together on the morning of September 11, 2015, and he seemed ‘okay, just a bit tired’
Coroner's conclusion
Recording a conclusion that Mr Worrall died as a result of a road traffic collision, Mr Moore said: “The toxicological report told us that at some point prior to the accident, Gareth had taken cocaine and cannabis.
“These drugs separately and certainly taken together can affect our ability to ride a motorbike or a car, but it is not possible to say when he had taken the cannabis or cocaine and they certainly were not taken in high quantities.
“The likelihood I find is that they were taken some time previously, and not immediately prior to the incident.
Mr Moore suggested that the van could have been obscured by the other vehicles or the glare of the sun.
He added: “I find that Gareth was driving nothing less than perfectly safely and he has just not seen the van and thought it was safe to overtake.”
