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Biker died after he was thrown into air

Tom Rowley
29/ 1/2003

A VERDICT of accidential death was recorded on a Hattersley motorcylist who was killed after being thrown from his bike on the Snake Pass.

Stephen Oldham, aged 35, of Hattersley Road West, was out for a ride with fellow biker Keith Macklin.

Another motorcyclist, Ian Summerscales, of Huntingdon Avenue, Sheffield, was behind Mr Oldham at around 10.30am on May 19.

In a written statement, Mr Summerscales said Mr Oldham, on his yellow 600cc Kawasaki, was travelling at around 60mph.

He said the bike seemed to flip Mr Oldham over the top of the handlebars, performing what bikers call a 'high side'.

But he did not see him land as a hill obscured his view. He continued on and saw the bike slide for about 20 yards.

Mr Macklin, of Gamesley, told an inquest in Buxton that he was in front of Stephen while both were riding through Doctor's Gate on the A57, travelling towards Glossop.

After rounding a corner he looked back but could not see his friend.

He pulled over, waited for a few minutes then walked back over the hill and saw him lying on the ground on his back with his head against the kerb.

An ambulance was called and Mr Oldham was pronounced dead at the scene.

A pathologist report gave the cause of death as cerebral lacerations as a result of a fractured skull.

PC Jason Potts said Mr Oldham's motorcycle was found to be at 90 degrees to its direction of travel and an independent examiner found no evidence of any defect or mechanical malfunction.

Coroner Clive Rushton said: "A very thorough technical examination of the machine by an engineer recommended by the manufacturer makes it quite clear there is no question of any fault in the machine.

"The road surface was in good order and no other vehicle was involved.

"We are left with some form of driver error causing the vehicle to perform a 'high side', causing the driver to be thrown from the machine.

"The driver was a very experienced user of the machine, but in certain circumstances we can all make errors.

"I think an isolated error caused the driver to become separated from the machine with tragic results."

Verdict: Accidental death.