Crash victim was three times drink drive limit

Lewis Dobson, 21 was killed in a head on crash with a lorry on Snaith Bridge

A motorcyclist who was killed in a head-on crash was three times the drink drive limit and had traces of cocaine in his system, an inquest heard.

Lewis Dobson crashed into a lorry on the A1041 Snaith Bridge after he pulled out to overtake a line of cars on 25 August 2023.

An inquest in Northallerton heard the 21-year-old sustained a traumatic brain injury and died at the scene.

Passing his condolences on to Mr Dobson's family, Coroner Jonathan Heath recorded a conclusion of death in a road traffic collision.

Prior to the crash witnesses described seeing Mr Dobson, who was wearing a tracksuit, pink helmet and flip flops, fall off his bike while while performing a wheelie in the nearby village.

In a statement read out in court one witness said had "sped off" on his bike, before falling off backwards and losing one of his shoes.

They said he had then got back on the white Husqvarna 125 and headed towards Snaith.

'Blind uphill bend'

Lorry driver Mark Johnson told the inquest he had been travelling towards Selby when he saw Mr Dobson coming towards him on the wrong side of the road.

"I thought ‘he’s going to hit me’ and I tried to brake and turn," he said.

Despite trying to pull back into his own lane, Mr Dobson collided with the corner of the lorry cab.

Michael Brough, a forensic collision investigator for West Yorkshire Police, told the inquest the road had been in good order and the weather conditions had been sunny and dry.

He noted the rear brake pads of the motorcycle had not been maintained and the back tyre had been underinflated.

He added the defect could have played "some part" in the crash but had not been the primary cause.

Mr Brough said he believed the main cause had been Mr Dobson overtaking on a "blind uphill bend" and there had been nothing Mr Johnson could have done differently.

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