A Grantham man has described to an inquest the moment he found his wife lying in a ditch with serious injuries after her motorbike left the road for an unknown reason.
Mum-of-two Claire Williams, 35, died in hospital within a short time, the hearing in Lincoln on Wednesday was told.
Nigel Chapman reported for The Lincolnite at the inquest hearing on Wednesday, March 17.
Mrs Williams is thought to have been face down in the dry ditch for up to an hour before worried husband Ian finally managed to find her. She told him: “I just came off it.”
A collision investigator could find no obvious reason why Mrs Williams had left the A52 at Barrowby on July 15, 2020.
The most likely occurrence was target fixation – a phenomenon whereby a rider or driver becomes focused on a hazard and inadvertently ends up heading towards it and increasing the likelihood of colliding with it.
The hearing was told that, in this case, it could have been the chevron signs and verge on the series of three bends.
Mrs Williams left the road on the middle, right-hand bend before coming off the bike about 30 metres on.
Mr Williams had been riding ahead of his wife as they took a summer’s evening ride towards The Engine Yard at Belvoir Castle.
In his written evidence, he said two or three times on the A52 he’d seen that Claire was still behind him on her KTM Duke 125. He’d bought it for her brand new in late 2019 when she passed her motorcycle compulsory basic training.
Mr Williams pulled into a layby near Sedgebrook when he lost sight of his wife. He soon turned back to look for her and went up and down the stretch of road four times.
After returning home to see if she was there, he then took his car along the route and found her after first spotting the bike’s registration plate behind shrubs.
“I asked her what happened and she replied ‘I just came off it’. She didn’t say anyone else or any animal had caused her to come off it,” Mr Williams said.
“She asked me to turn her on her back but I said no due to possible back injuries.”
Shortly after arriving at hospital, Mr Williams was told the devastating news that his wife had passed away from her extensive injuries.
“I couldn’t believe it. I’d been talking to her for a few minutes from finding her to the paramedics arriving,” he said.
Lincolnshire assistant coroner Marianne Johnson concluded that Mrs Williams died as the result of a road traffic collision.
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We are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage after a collision caused serious injuries to a 23-year-old man.
Just before 3.30pm yesterday (2 July), we received reports of a collision on Barholm Road in Tallington. It involved a grey BMW 335D estate, a blue BMW 116D and an orange KTM motorcycle.
The motorcycle rider, a 23-year-old man, sustained serious injuries during the collision and was taken to hospital.
If you witnessed the incident and are yet to get in touch with us, please do so. If you have any other information or dashcam footage available that may have captured the road along the A1175 at the time of the collision, get in touch.
By calling 101 quoting incident 282 of 2 July.
By emailing [email protected] quoting incident 282 of 2 July in the subject line.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can report via the independent charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.
The 2022 Destination Lincolnshire Tourism Excellence Awards are open for applications, and Destination Lincolnshire giving you the rare chance to co-create your application with Nell Barrington, a tourism awards veteran, who has helped hundreds of businesses write winning applications over the last 15 years – including national VisitEngland winners.
The Tourism Awards Masterclass is taking place on Tuesday 12 July at 11am for one-hour online. Laura Freer, Head of Marketing at Destination Lincolnshire said: “This is a golden opportunity, after years of hard work and heartache, to get your business and team recognised and rewarded.
“A well written application is key to achieving a coveted place on this year’s shortlist, and I’d encourage all tourism and visitor economy businesses who are thinking of entering – whether they are seasoned at writing award applications or not – to join us for this exclusive masterclass.
“Nell Barrington has worked with us and VisitEngland on the founding application processes of these awards, and she is perfectly placed to assist in co-creating applications that you can be proud of. This is a great opportunity for business development too – whether you are shortlisted for an award or not – discovering how to effectively apply for awards and talk up your business adds another string to your bow.
“Booking is essential and places are limited to just 35 – so be quick! This year we’ve made our masterclass available to partners and also to those who we are yet to work with for free. Call it an added bonus, after two years away from the awards circuit.
The awards masterclass is focussed on the application process, and it will spell out what the judges are looking for. You’ll learn how to make your application stand out from the local competition, helping your chances of going through to the national VisitEngland Awards in 2023.”
There are fifteen categories open for nominations from visitors attraction, accommodation providers, hospitality businesses and many more.
The deadline for nominations is July 29, with online judging starting on July 30 and mystery shopping from August 13. Finalists will be announced on Monday, August 15.
The awards ceremony will be held at the Engine Shed on October 21, and will be hosted by Lincs FM presenter, John Marshall.
The event is organised by Stonebow Media, publishers of The Lincolnite, to celebrate the best businesses in Greater Lincolnshire, alongside headline sponsors Lincoln College and Destination Lincolnshire.
We would also like to thank our other sponsors Visit Lincolnshire, Heart of Lincs, Duncan and Toplis and LNER, insight6 and EV Camel.
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