Coroner rules 'accidental death' after motorcyclist died after crashing into a wall during driving test

Christopher Evans, 39, from Chester, was taking his MOD1 motorcycle driving exam at DSA Driving Test Centre on Navigation Road in St Helens on March 11, 2019 when the tragic incident happened.

At an inquest held at St Helens Coroners' Court, heard Coroner Graham Jackson read out evidential reports from witnesses, the test examiner and police, which confirmed that Mr Evans had incorrectly carried out an emergency stop during the test.

This led to him accelerating instead of fully braking.

Emergency crews at the scene

The test motorbike moved forward, at speed, out of the test area, into a fence enclosing the test centre. The vehicle then hit the wall of an opposite building before falling two metres into a dividing space of land.

The post mortem confirmed that Mr Evans, a shift manager at a cranes operation firm, died of "multiple injuries" caused by the crash.

Police findings ruled that the road surface within the test centre was without any fault and that weather on that day was visible.

The toxicology report did find that Mr Evans did have what amounted to a single dose of anti-histamines in his system.

Coroner Graham Jackson noted that this can "cause dizziness, drowsiness and headaches".

However he added: "There’s nothing to indicate that the anti-histamine, which is readily available over the counter, affected his ability, whether it did we'll never know."

Pictures taken of the scene at the time

Mr Evans, was married to Joanne Evans, 34, who was present at the hearing along with other members of his family.

Speaking to the family, as he recorded an accidental verdict, Mr Jackson added: "I also find that the motorcycle was free of any mechanical defects and was serviceable when your husband had his collision and that he was indeed wearing his helmet as he should have been.

"He was performing a test at the test centre with an approved examiner and sadly when performing an emergency stop he was not able to carry this out.

"From what I’ve heard from the police officer, what appears to have happened is your husband applied the front brake and the foot brake and pulled back the throttle fully.

"Then your husband has not closed the throttle and this clearly was a mistake, not one I believe was intentional.

"However, this made the bike go forward and accelerate. It’s a mistake that just happened.

"Witnesses noted that your husband was a little anxious, as I believe many people who are taking their driving tests would be.

"Whether what was being asked of him became a little too much we do not know, but we have heard from the officer that he did not carry out the correct procedure he should have gone through and instead sadly kept the throttle pulled back fully.

Pictures taken of the scene at the time

"Sadly as a consequence of that he accelerated rather than decelerated and the collision occurred.

"He was given instructions to carry out an emergency stop and for whatever reason he did not do that and by pulling back on the throttle that kept him speeding past the instructor (and) led to the subsequent crash.

"It seems like it was one of things that could happen to us all.

"Can I offer my sympathies and condolences over the very sad loss of your husband and to the entire family."