General
Accident in Wootton High Street
Easter Monday 1933
An inquest was held at the High Street Methodist Church, Wootton into the death of Charles M. Coombes age 25 of Upper St. James, Newport. The deceased was riding a motorcycle down the High Street towards the bridge when he appeared to lose control of the machine.
The deceased father stated that he had last seen his son around 10.30 am on the day of the accident and his son was an experienced rider who travel daily from Newport to his work in Wootton. He was asked if his son suffered from fainting fits, to which he replied no, and in the day in question he was “as right as a trivet”, however he was suffering from toothache.
Inspector Rogers told the coroner that the deceased brother had told a police office in Ryde after the accident that his brother suffered from fainting fits, and in the morning in question had been sick and should not have gone to work.
Giving evidence Mrs Warne of Glenfield, High Street, Wootton said she was in her bedroom about 11.15 am. when she heard a motorbike coming down the road, she then heard a thud and a grating noise; looking out of the window she saw rider and machine bounding down the hill as if out of control. It carried on until it struck the wall of the bungalow Derrydene; it then rebounded into the roadway, the rider being thrown from the machine. A passing motorist stated that she saw the rider thrown from the machine and land in the road,
Giving evidence P.C. Lucket stated that at the entrance to Derrydene there was a 4 ft bank supported by a stone base, fifteen inches from the ground there were marks on the stonewall. The rider had been thrown 44 feet towards Ryde from the point of impact and the motorbike had travelled 39 ft in the same direction.
The house surgeon at Ryde stated that the deceased was admitted at 12.30 pm and appeared to be suffering from a fractured skull, he never regained consciousness and died on the Wednesday.
Summing up the coroner said the original thud had not been explained and wondered if a tyre had burst causing the motorcyclist to lose control, a verdict of accidental death was recorded.
Source: Isle of Wight County Press, 29th April 1933
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