THE family of a 51-year-old motorcyclist who lost his life in a crash, has thanked the lorry driver who attempted to save him by administering CPR and calling emergency services immediately after the accident.
Christopher Brown, from Charlton, known as Chris, died on August 10, last year, when his motorcycle crashed into a lorry on Thruxton Down Road.
The lorry driver, Sam Robin Howe, was making a right turn into Thruxton Down Farm when Chris' motorcycle crashed into the vehicle.
Despite the lorry driver's efforts, Chris was pronounced dead at the scene.
READ MORE: Tribute paid to man who died following collision near Andover
During an inquest held at Winchester Coroner’s Court on Tuesday, August 13, Chris' family, including his fiancée, brothers, and sisters, expressed their thanks to Mr Howe for his rescue efforts following the crash.
"I just want to say thank you for calling 999," said Chris' fiancée, Ms Caplan, who had been engaged to him for 11 years.
Chris' brother and sister, also spoke directly to Mr Howe, saying: "Thank you for trying to save Chris.
"We lost Chris, but we know it wouldn’t be easy for you to live with that for the rest of your life. We appreciate everything you did for Chris after what happened."
The inquest heard touching tributes from family members, who described Chris as a "happy person" who was "full of life".
Ms Caplan said that Chris was a confident motorcyclist, and his brother Jeremy Brown shared memories of how they had learned to ride motorcycles together, with Chris displaying exceptional skill since the age of 17.
"He was always a better rider than me," Mr Brown added.
"People who knew him say he was the best motorcyclist they had known. He was always fit and confident man. He was very good at martial arts, paddling, and motorcycling."
During the inquest, Mr Howe recounted the moments leading up to the crash.
He said the road was clear as he began his right turn into Thruxton Down Farm and that he had performed all necessary checks.
Mr Howe mentioned that just before the impact, he thought he saw something through the passenger window, moments before hearing the noise of the impact.
Chris was returning home from his job as a maintenance electrician when the crash occurred at 4.58pm.
The inquest also heard from the investigating officer who said in a statement that it was not possible to determine Chris' speed or whether he was distracted in the moments leading up to the crash.
A pathologist's report revealed that Chris had suffered multiple fractures, including to his jaw, forearm, vertebrae, and skull, along with traumatic injuries to both lungs.
The severe injuries were cited as the direct cause of his death, with no alcohol or drugs found in his system.
SEE ALSO: Why do newspapers cover inquests and how do they work?
Concluding the inquest, coroner Jason Pegg suggested that Chris may have been travelling beyond the speed limit or might have been distracted, given the extensive damage to his motorcycle.
"The fact that the motorcycle was in the upright position when it crashed and Chris was not trying to go to the other side of the road means there is a possibility that he was traveling at the speed limit or just beyond it, or he was distracted," Mr Pegg said.
Mr Pegg concluded that Chris died of severe injuries caused by the crash.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here