Family’s moving tribute to ‘passionate’ charity fundraiser Brent Smith after tragic death in crash
The family of a biker known for his tireless charity work have paid a moving tribute after he died following a collision[1] in a Holderness village.
Doting dad-of-two Brent Smith passed away at the scene of the crash on Station Road in Ottringham[2] on June 29 last year. The van driver, a decorator, set off for work that morning and was carrying out a three point turn outside his home when the collision occurred.
A two-day inquest[3] into Brent’s death finished on Tuesday with assistant coroner Edward Steele concluding his death was the result of a “road traffic collision”.
Afterwards, his family spoke of their loss and how Brent dedicated so much of his time helping others. Brent, 30, of Hollym near Withernsea, was known in the Holderness community for raising money for those less fortunate.
In a statement, his family said: “Brent was a diamond, rough around the edges but strong and precious to us. It was a great privilege and an honour to have known and loved him. We will forever hold his memory close to our hearts.
“Brent was a funny, mischievous character who was passionate about bikes and charity work. He was a founder of the Humberside Crusaders, which raised money for sick and vulnerable children and adults.
“He personally raised money for a terminally ill child to allow them a holiday abroad. Brent also raised money for the people of Hornsea to get a beach accessible wheelchair.”
Biker Brent Smith who died in a collision in Ottringham in 2022 was a dedicated charity fundraiser
A heartbreaking message was also read out during the inquest from his children. It said: “My daddy was a kind dad who was very funny and silly. My daddy was going to work when he had a bad accident on his bike. This accident was very upsetting and has left us feeling quite lonely. We miss daddy every day and love him.”
During the inquest in Hull on Monday, CCTV was shown which captured the collision. It was edited to show the manoeuvre but not the actual impact. It captured the driver doing a three point turn before Brent arrived. He tried to avoid the van but came off his motorbike and struck the vehicle.
Despite the desperate attempts of the driver and neighbours to save Brent, he sadly died at the scene. The post-mortem found Brent had died of multiple injuries due to a road traffic incident. Toxicology tests found no drugs or alcohol in his system.
Brent Smith died following a collision in Ottringham in Holderness (Image: gofundme)
The van driver tested negative for drugs and passed an eye test but a breath test did test positive for alcohol. However, the level was found to be below the legal limit. He was interviewed by police and was initially charged with death by careless driving and driving under the influence of alcohol but these were later dropped.
On Tuesday, collision investigator Michael Orchard told the inquest Brent was riding above the 30mph speed limit and, had been doing 30mph, he would have had time to stop before hitting the van. Mr Orchard concluded speed was a major contributory factor in the collision.
Join our WhatsApp Community for the latest top stories and breaking news
Get all the latest breaking news in Hull straight to your mobile via WhatsApp by clicking here[5].
If you don’t like our community, you can leave any time. We also treat members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. Read our privacy notice here.[6]
The family also reacted to this evidence afterwards saying: “It was a great and distressing shock to learn about the speed Brent was travelling. Our feeling on this was that it was an oversight on his part that has ultimately cost him his life. Brent was an advocate for bikers and road safety and it was a momentary lapse that does not at all reflect the type of person he was.
“We would like to thank all those who have been involved in Brent’s inquest for their kindness and sensitivities towards the family during this distressing time. We are especially thankful to the coroner for his professionalism and kindness during the proceedings for which we will never forget.”
References
- ^ a collision (www.hulldailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Ottringham (www.hulldailymail.co.uk)
- ^ two-day inquest (www.hulldailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Coroner praises bravery of those who rushed to help victims of horror M62 crash which killed two (www.hulldailymail.co.uk)
- ^ here (tinyurl.com)
- ^ here. (bit.ly)