‘Compassionate’ paramedic died after crash during motorbike training course

A paramedic died in a crash while taking part in a police motorbike refresher course, an inquest heard today. Mark Pell, 51, a member of the London Ambulance Service’s motorcycle response unit, was on a five-day refresher course with North Wales Police when the five-vehicle pile-up occurred in April, 2022.^[1]^[2]

The reason the crash happened remains a mystery, the inquest heard. He was riding his BMW bike ahead of police instructor Philip Jones and fellow paramedic Andrew Daly when, on a sweeping left-hand bend, he crossed the solid white line into the path of an oncoming lorry.

The collision occurred on the A5 between Pentrefoelas and Cerrigydrudion. At the inquest in Ruthin ^[3] Nicholas Harris, a collision investigator with Cheshire Police, said there was no clear reason why he had strayed two feet into the opposite carriageway.

Speed was not a factor – he estimated Mr Pell’s speed at 54-69mph – and the instructor had assessed him as a competent, experienced rider. Andrew Daly said he didn’t see the collision but said there had been no concerns.

“It was just an enjoyable ride,” he said. The inquest heard how Mr Pell, from Loughton in Essex, suffered a severe brain injury and died six days later at the Royal Stoke University Hospital.

In a statement read at the hearing lorry driver John Bennett, who was carrying a load of slates, said he suddenly saw a motorbike coming towards him in the middle of his lane and he had no time to react. His lorry crashed over a stone wall into a field and ended on its side.

Mark Pell sadly died in hospital following a five-vehicle collision on the A5 (Image: LAST handout)

In trying to avoid a collision Mr Daly’s BMW hit a 4x4 vehicle towing a trailer and he, too, was injured. Despite having fractured his pelvis he gave first-aid instructions to passers-by who went to Mr Pell’s assistance, and John Gittins, senior coroner for North Wales East and Central, commended him for his actions “in a very difficult scenario”.

Recording a conclusion of a road traffic collision death, the coroner said: “For reasons which cannot be identified from the available evidence his motorcycle crossed the central white line and came into collision with the HGV.” Mr Pell’s father Roger said his son “had always wanted to help others from a young age”.

“He loved what he did,” he added. After the hearing Daniel Elkeles, Chief Executive of the London Ambulance Services, reiterated the tribute he had paid to Mr Pell at the time of his death, referring to him as having “exemplified everything that is great about the London Ambulance Service”.

Mr Pell, who joined the service in 1994, spent most of his career in Whipps Cross and Buckhurst Hill stations before joining the Motorcycle Response Unit. “Mark will be remembered for the absolute care and support that he offered to his colleagues, which was only surpassed by the care and compassion he gave to his patients,” said Mr Elkeles.

Why journalists cover inquests and why it's crucial that we do

Reporting on an inquest can be one of the hardest types of stories a journalist can write.

More often than not, they are emotionally charged proceedings attended by grief-stricken people who are desperate for answers.

Sometimes, inquests can seem quite clinical due to a coroner’s need to remain impartial and level-headed so that they can draw a conclusion from desperately sad events.

As painful as these proceedings are for those who have lost a loved one, the lessons that can be learned from inquests can go a long way to saving others’ lives.

Families are often surprised - and sometimes angry - when they see a reporter in attendance.

Understandably they worry the nature of their loved one’s death will be sensationalised and that a news story will forever tarnish their memory.

Responsible and ethically minded journalists will do what they can to report inquests sensitively, while not shying away from the often upsetting facts.

It is vital that the public don’t forget that inquests are a type of judicial inquiry; they are after all held in a coroner’s court.

The press has a legal right to attend inquests and has a responsibility to report on them as part of their duty to uphold the principle of ‘open justice’.

But in doing so journalists must follow the guidance provided by the Independent Press Standards Organisation ^[4] and set out in Editors’ Code of Conduct.

It’s a journalist’s duty to make sure the public understands the reasons why someone has died and to make sure their deaths are not kept secret.

An inquest report can also clear up any rumours or suspicion surrounding a person’s death.

But most importantly of all, an inquest report can draw attention to circumstances which may stop further deaths from happening.

Inquests are not criminal courts - there is no prosecution or defence - they are fact-finding tribunals which seek to answer four key questions:

Who is the person who died?
Where did they die?
When did they die?
How did they die?

They do not apportion blame.

Once these questions are answered a coroner will be able to record a conclusion.

The wider lessons that can be learned from an inquest can have far-reaching consequences - but if journalists do not attend them how can the public be made aware?

The harsh reality is they can’t. Coroners often do not publish the results of an inquest.

Should journalists shy away from attending inquests then an entire arm of the judicial system - and numerous others who need to answer vital questions - is not held to account.

Inquests can often prompt a wider discussion on serious issues, the most recent of these being mental health and suicide.^[5]

Editors actively ask and encourage reporters to speak to the family and friends of a person who is the subject of an inquest.

Their contributions help us create a clearer picture of the person who died and also provides the opportunity to pay tribute to their loved one.

Often families do not wish to speak to the press and of course that decision has to be respected.

However, as has been seen by many brilliant campaigns run by newspapers and websites up and down the country, the input of a person’s family and friends can make all the difference in helping to save others.

Without the attendance of the press at inquests questions will remain unanswered, debates unargued and lives lost.

Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone ^[6]

References

^{^} North Wales Police (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^{^} pile-up occurred in April, 2022. (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^{^} Ruthin (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^{^} Independent Press Standards Organisation (www.ipso.co.uk)
^{^} mental health and suicide. (www.mylondon.news)
^{^} WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone (www.dailypost.co.uk)