A LAMPETER dad-of-four was travelling at speeds “substantially in excess” of the limit on his motorbike when he died after a collision with a van in September, an inquest has heard.

Richard Rees, known to family and friends as Ricky, suffered multiple severe injuries after he was thrown from his bike into a signpost on the A482 just outside Temple Bar when his Kawasaki bike collided with a red Ford Transit van.

The inquest into the death of the 56-year-old, held in Aberystwyth on Wednesday, found that the collision was “unavoidable” due to the “speed Mr Rees was travelling”.

The inquest heard from witnesses in Temple Bar that they heard the “roar of a powerful bike”, “going through the gears” in the village, moments before the crash.

Malcolm Miles, who knew Mr Rees but didn’t recognise his bike on the day, said he “clearly remembered thinking the biker was an idiot for going so fast”.

Mr Miles, and fellow Temple Bar resident Anthony Bramhall, told the inquest that the bike was going “extremely fast”.

Huw Jones, who was travelling with his son behind the red Transit van driven by Raymond Henderson, said he slowed down as the van indicated to turn into a garage.

“Then I saw the van turn and it was just an explosion of plastic and fibreglass and I saw the motorbike go past me with no rider,” Mr Bramhall said.

The crash saw Mr Rees’ bike end up over 270 feet away further down the road. Mr Rees was flung from the bike, hitting a signpost. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Giving evidence, Mr Henderson - who is in his 70s and was returning from an agricultural show on the day of the crash - said he “didn’t see” Mr Rees.

“If I had seen him, I wouldn’t have turned,” he said. “I want to give my sympathies to the family and all his friends. No-one likes to see this kind of thing happening.”

While Mr Henderson claims he was not over the line into the oncoming lane, police evidence showed that the collision occurred in the opposite lane, during Mr Henderson’s turning procedure.

Police have not brought any charges against Mr Henderson.

Crash investigator PC Gary Rees told the inquest that witnesses described Rees overtaking cars “passing in a flash” before the crash.

PC Rees said that Mr Henderson and Mr Rees would have had “little or no time to react to each other”.

Recording a verdict of death by misadventure, Ceredigion coroner Peter Brunton said that while the speed of Mr Rees’ bike “cannot be accurately determined” it was “quite clear that the speed was substantially in excess of the 50 and 60 limits.”

“Mr Rees was going so fast he was not seen by Mr Henderson,” Mr Brunton said. “As a result of the speed Mr Rees was travelling the collision was unavoidable.”

• If you have been distressed or disturbed by this report, you can ring the Samaritans on 08457 909090