Liam Addison: Adam Clover not to blame for crash death, say family

Liam Addison, 30, from Grainthorpe, Lincolnshire, suffered fatal chest injuries in the crash

The family of a motorcyclist killed when he crashed into an ambulance do not blame a fellow biker jailed for an offence linked to the fatal ride, a court has heard.

Liam Addison, 30, died when he hit the emergency vehicle, which was carrying a patient and two crew members, near Alford, Lincolnshire, on 9 June 2020.

Best friend Adam Clover, 31, admitted dangerous driving at Lincoln Crown Court last month.

On Tuesday he was jailed for 10 months.

The court heard how the pair had been travelling at high speed, with Mr Addison's 1000cc Yamaha bike believed to have reached 140mph just moments before the crash.

Clover, on a smaller 675cc bike, was a distance behind Mr Addison, of Grainthorpe, Lincolnshire, when he struck the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) vehicle on the A16 at Calceby just before 18:30 BST.

The ambulance was taking a patient to Grimsby's Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital at the time.

None of the occupants were hurt.

'Not his fault'

Following the collision, Clover, of Warren Road, Saltfleet, was initially charged with causing Mr Addison's death by dangerous driving.

Mr Addison's family supported a review of evidence which brought it to the lesser charge, which Clover pleaded guilty to.

In a statement to the court, Mr Addison's brother, Jake, said: "Adam is a very good friend to me.

"He had to watch his friend die, and now has to live with that image."

He added: "Adam should not feel any guilt. The fault is not his.

"Liam would never have been encouraged, he would not have had his mind swayed."

The crash happened on the A16 at Calceby, near Ulceby Cross

Defence barrister Andrew Thompson said footage of the pair showed the defendant travelling slower and maintaining a safe distance behind his friend.

Sentencing the electrician, who had two previous speeding offences, Judge Simon Hirst told him his "grossly excessive speed" represented a substantial risk of danger to road users.

He added: "It is plain Mr Addison's family do not bear you any ill will at all, indeed the opposite is true."

Clover was also banned from driving for 17 months and must also take an extended retest.