July 27, 2022 4.04 pm This story is over 20 months old

Lincoln father died in tragic bike crash with van, inquest heard

Inquest couldn’t determine if anyone was to blame
Damian tragically died following a crash on the A46. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

A father-of-two from Lincoln was killed when his motorcycle collided with a van during an overtaking manoeuvre, an inquest has heard.

Damian Buckle, 36, was riding a BMW S1000RR and travelling in the same direction as a Renault box van, which had started to turn right.

The motorbike hit the van’s driver’s door and Mr Buckle was thrown off, suffering a fatal head injury.

The crash happened on the A46 at Dunholme, heading away from the city, at about 8.20pm on August 13 last year.

A resumed inquest held at Myle Cross Centre in Lincoln on Wednesday, July 27, heard that van driver Wahaid Sarwar was trying to find a delivery location.

His passenger was on the phone getting directions from the intended recipient when the collision occurred at the Ashing Lane junction.

Damian Buckle sadly died in a crash on the A46 near Lincoln. | Photo: Submitted by family

An examination of both vehicles found that the van’s indicator and the motorbike’s headlight were on at the time.

After hearing that the collision happened after a long straight of road, assistant coroner Marianne Johnson said: “I’m slightly surprised that the van driver didn’t see the motorbike with its headlight on.”

PC Godfrey Barlow, forensic collision investigator with Lincolnshire Police, said Mr Buckle’s position in the road prior to the collision was unclear and it was possible that Mr Sarwar would not have been able to see him in the van’s wing mirrors.

There was dashcam footage of Mr Buckle overtaking a vehicle more than a mile from the collision site at “over 70mph”. PC Barlow said there was nothing much wrong with the overtake.

The car driver soon came across the collision but did not see it. There were no other witnesses either.

PC Barlow read to the hearing some of Mr Sarwar’s statement in which the van driver said he had checked both wing mirrors and started to indicate.

Mr Sarwar added: “As I approached the junction, I was not aware of any traffic behind me, in the junction or oncoming.”

PC Barlow said the position of the sun would not have been a contributory factor, adding: “I’m satisfied that the Renault was indicating but I can’t say how long prior to [the collision].”

Ms Johnson concluded that Mr Buckle’s death was as the result of a road traffic collision.