Bermuda bike crash inquest hears brakes were faulty

Mr Cooper died at King Edwards VII Memorial Hospital

A man from east London who died in a road accident in Bermuda was riding a rental bike with a faulty brake, an inquest has heard.

Matthew Cooper, 58, from Bow, died in hospital in October 2021, 12 days after colliding with a car.

East London Coroner's Court heard the condition of the bike's front brake "would have reduced the breaking efficiency by about 90%".

The inquest concluded Mr Cooper died as a result of a road traffic collision.

Witness saw bike 'wobble'

Senior coroner for east London, Graeme Irvine also said it was not the fault of either Oleander Cycles or Mr Cooper's own actions, "given the absence of evidence".

He added that it was "disappointing" that Bermudan police had not investigated rental company Oleander Cycles further.

Mr Cooper's medical cause of death was traumatic brain injury.

Witnesses said Mr Cooper had turned to look for a hat which had flown off his head immediately before the collision.

Three members of Mr Cooper's family, including his two children, joined the inquest via video link.

Mr Cooper, a wine buyer from Bow, east London, had arrived in Bermuda as a visitor on 12 October 2021 and rented a black mountain bike from Oleander Cycles two days later.

A statement given to Bermudan police by Gayle Ventures, who had been driving the car involved in the collision, read out at the inquest said she thought Mr Cooper "was riding very quickly" prior to the incident.

She said she recalled "seeing the bike wobble as he turned to look for his hat" before Mr Cooper "flew into the front of my car…. and landed on his back".

In another statement from Bermudan police, the inquest heard the weather had been fine and that a black baseball cap was found near the scene of the collision.

However, the front brake appeared to be "faulty" on Mr Cooper's mountain bike, the statement said.

Whether Mr Cooper had been aware of the braking issue and decided to continue using the bike regardless and whether the hat had caused a distraction were both "indeterminate", the inquest heard.

Mr Cooper was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs but may have been travelling too fast, while the driver of the car was not a contributing factor, the statement said.

Mr Irvine said it was "a lapse on the part of the Bermuda police" that no follow-up investigations into the rental company or bike itself were made.

He added: "The authorities in Bermuda did not seek information or evidence from Oleander Cycles.

"I see this as an omission."

Oleander Cycles has been contacted for comment.

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