A motorcyclist died near Clacton after trying to overtake a vehicle and colliding with another on the opposite side of the road, an inquest has heard. Benjamin Nicholls, 46, was involved in the crash in Harwich Road, near Clacton-on-Sea, in June 2024.
Essex Coroner’s Court heard on Friday (January 3) that Mr Nicholls was riding a motorbike when he overtook on a bend and collided with an oncoming vehicle. Coroner Michelle Brown said “there was nothing the other drivers could have done to have avoided the collision” on the 60mph single-carriageway road.
Emergency services rushed to Harwich Road on June 6 following reports of a collision involving a motorcycle and a car at around 12.45pm. Paramedics attended and treated Mr Nicholls but was confirmed deceased less than an hour later.
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Medical tests found there was no evidence of Mr Nicholls being under the influence of alcohol or drugs when he collided with the vehicle. He was behind a Ford Ranger vehicle when he attempted to overtake on a bend and collided with an oncoming Ford Fiesta.
Coroner Brown said Mr Nicholls had died from multiple traumatic injuries following the collision. She added: “He overtook on a bend and misjudged the fact that there was someone coming from the opposite direction. There was nothing the other drivers could have done to have avoided the collision.”
Ms Brown concluded: “I conclude that Mr Nicholls from Harwich died on the sixth of June in 2024 on Harwich Road in Clacton after sustaining multiple traumatic injuries following a motorcycle collision when he hit another vehicle. The conclusion is one of road traffic collision.”