Biker died after crash

May 1 2008 by Kerry-Lynne Doyle, Glamorgan Gazette

A CANCER sufferer died eight days after a van was in collision with his motorbike.

Raymond Edward Spencer, of Greenfields Avenue, Bridgend, died on October 10, eight days after the accident while riding his 125cc silver Suzuki motorbike.

An inquest into his death heard the 79-year-old had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer that year, but the collision was a factor in his death.

Witness Lynn Davies told Bridgend Coroner’s Court he was driving 50 yards behind Mr Spencer when the collision happened at about 2pm on October 2 at the B2470 near Llantwit Major.

“I could see a white van coming from the right hand side lane and coming to a junction intercepting our road,” he said.

“The motorcyclist was just before the junction and going along and the van had stopped at the junction but it came out at exactly the same time as the motorcycle was passing the junction.

“The motorcyclist had no road open to him and I could see him drive into a hedge.

“The motorcyclist had fallen into the hedge and bounced back from the hedge onto his bike.”

Fellow witness Richard Nuth said he saw Mr Spencer “thrown forward off the bike, smashing through the plastic screen of the bike”.

Pc Jamie Williamson told the inquest he was travelling to Bridgend when he came across the accident.

He said Mr Spencer was “fully conscious” and was “making fun of himself” as the ambulance arrived.

However, pathologist Dr Philip Brumwell said that after being admitted into the Princess of Wales Hospital the pensioner experienced chest pains.

He said Mr Spencer had suffered a fractured collar bone and ribs alongside cuts to his face in the collision and eventually had a heart attack which led to heart failure.

He gave the cause of death as heart failure with rib fractures, pulmonary disease and pancreatic cancer.

Dr Brumwell said: “There is no documentation that he had been acutely unwell before the accident.”

Coroner Philip Walters recorded a verdict of accidental death.

He said: “To me it seems fairly clear that the driver has pulled out without seeing him on the motorcycle coming along and, for whatever reason, he pulled out.

“The injuries in themselves to a healthy man would not have caused death, but as Dr Brumwell pointed out the combination of all these things to somebody who was already ill before the accident has contributed to his death.”