Dad killed in crash outside Devon school ‘was travelling double the speed limit’

A 'loving' Devon dad who was tragically killed after his motorbike collided with a car outside a private school in Tavistock is believed to have been travelling double the speed limit. Daryl Bramble, a married 32-year-old marine engineer, left his home in Plymouth^[1] on October 22, 2021, to enjoy a bike ride with a friend.

An inquest at Exeter Coroner’s Court today, September 10, heard they had planned to stop off in Okehampton for lunch but while travelling along the A386 - the main road between Tavistock and Okehampton - Mr Bramble collided with a left-hand drive German registered Volkswagen car ^[4]that was turning right into private independent school Mount Kelly in Parkwood Road.^[2][3]

The inquest heard it was not possible to confirm where both vehicles were in relation to each other before the crash. An extensive police collision investigation concluded that it was down to 'human factors' and the speed of the bike 'may have had some contributory factor'.

It was confirmed there have been no criminal proceedings against the driver who was travelling with his family to take his son, a pupil at the school, back to Germany.

In a statement, he said he did not see a motorcyclist before the collision and described his manoeuvre to turn right as 'slow' because he was concentrating.

He recalled: "Out of my left eye I saw a flash. I could not say what it was and then there was a bang. I got out and saw a motorcyclist on the road."

The friend who had been riding behind Mr Bramble, a dad-of-two, on the day of the crash told in a statement that he believed the car was stationary or travelling 'very slow' across the road.

When describing Mr Bramble's driving on his Suzuki GSX-R bike, he said: "The manner of his riding at the time of the collision was not stupid."

Evidence was also heard from a van driver who had been overtaken by the motorbikes just before the collision and had not seen the bikes before the manoeuvre which he described as a 'quick swing out and back in'.

In a statement, he said: "I was thinking it was a stupid place to overtake as it went into a lefthand bend."

The main entrance into Mount Kelly in Tavistock -Credit:Google Maps

Despite the best efforts of those at the scene, including an off-duty ICU nurse and paramedics, Mr Bramble was unable to be revived. The cause of his death was chest injuries. It was confirmed he was not under the influence of any alcohol or drugs at the time of his death.

The post-mortem report stated: "He would have died very swiftly from these incidents and there was nothing anyone at the scene could have done to change the outcome."

Police forensic collision investigator PC Melissa Inness told the inquest that there were no defects with either vehicles or the road, and weather^[5] conditions were not a factor.

She confirmed the road had a speed limit of 30mph but detailed analysis of CCTV footage from the school showed that before Mr Bramble applied emergency braking, he had been travelling between 53mph to 59mph and that the front end of the bike collided with the rear near side of the car.

The likely speed at impact was said to be between 45mph and 54mph with the car travelling at around 7mph to 8mph. A number of possible scenarios were given when the driver and rider could have seen each other.

However, PC Inness concluded it could not be determined which one was more likely and she couldn't say when the bike would have been in view. She added speed was a factor and had Mr Bramble been riding within the speed limit, the collision may not have occurred.

She said: "There's the situation where a collision could have still happened but it would have been at a much-reduced speed or he could have applied less emergency braking, avoided it or the collision could not have happened at all."

Recording a conclusion of road traffic collision, senior coroner Philip Spinney said: "The motorcyclist applied emergency braking but it is likely he did not react until the Volkswagen was already in the process of turning."

He continued: "It is not possible to establish where the car and motorcycle were in relation to each other when they first came into each other's view, nor their positions on the road. The collision investigator raised the possibility the driver of the Volkswagen did not carry out sufficient checks to ensure the northbound was clear.

"It was also possible he did not judge the speed of the approaching motorcyclist but said did not see the motorcyclist."

Referring to the work carried out by the collision investigation team, he said: "Although the investigation could not state the probable sequence of events, the speed of the motorcyclist was probably a contributory factor to the collision. If Mr Bramble had been travelling 30mph the collision is less likely to have occurred, but in her evidence, PC Inness said there were still variable scenarios including reaction time and the level of braking applied.

"In conclusion, it is not possible on the basis of the evidence to make a finding of fact on the probable sequence of events that have led to the collision."

Following Mr Bramble's death, his family paid an emotional tribute. In a statement, they said: "Daryl was a loving husband, son and father of two young children who lived in Plympton, Plymouth. Daryl will be sadly missed; he was loved by everyone that knew him. He has left a massive void in everyone's lives.”

References

1. ^{^} Plymouth (www.devonlive.com)
2. ^{^} Exeter (www.devonlive.com)
3. ^{^} Okehampton (www.devonlive.com)
4. ^{^} Mr Bramble collided with a left-hand drive German registered Volkswagen car (www.devonlive.com)
5. ^{^} weather (www.devonlive.com)