Dad dies after pulling wheelie during 'last ride' on motorbike before selling it
A dad was killed while performing a wheelie during his 'last ride' before selling his motorbike.
Anthony Draper had agreed the sale of his KTM bike to another man moments before he lost control and crashed into a concrete gate post.
The 29-year-old, from Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, suffered multiple fatal injuries during the accident near his home on April 18.
He had invited two men to his home to view the vehicle the same evening.
After one of them agreed to purchase the bike, Mr Draper told him: "I'll have one last go."
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An inquest at Bolton Coroners Court on Thursday heard the young dad climbed on the bike without a helmet or protective clothing and rode off up the street.
Anthony agreed to sell the bike after falling off it and breaking his leg (Manchester Evening News WS)After turning the bike around, witnesses recalled seeing Mr Draper 'pull a wheelie' before losing control and smashing into a concrete gate post outside a house, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Friends performed first aid on Mr Draper but he was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
In a statement read out in court, mum Jennifer Draper said 'words cannot describe how the family feel' following her son's death.
"You never imagine someone is going to die at the age of 29," she added.
Ms Draper told the hearing that her son had an 'obsession' with motorbikes and had ridden them since a young age.
Adam Brownhill said he and his friend, Mark, had visited Mr Draper's home at about 10pm on April 18 to view an orange KTM bike he was selling.
The inquest was heard at Bolton Coroners Court (MEN Media)He said Mr Draper informed them he was selling the bike as he had fallen off it six months earlier and broken his leg.
After checking the bike by riding it up and down the street, Mr Brownhill said his friend decided to buy it. After agreeing on a price, Mr Brownhill said Mr Draper told his friend: "I'll have one last go."
Jodie Newcomb, Mr Draper's partner, said that after agreeing to 'one last ride', he got on the bike without a helmet, which she said was unusual for him, and rode off up the street. He then turned the bike around and 'pulled a wheelie' but 'lost control', she said.
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"He looked as though he was being dragged along," Ms Newcomb added in a statement read out in court. "He had hold of the handlebars and was trying to get control of the bike."
The inquest heard that after crashing into the gate post, Mr Draper stood up before collapsing in the road.
Dr David Barker, a consultant pathologist, gave Mr Draper's cause of death as 'multiple injuries'.
Toxicology tests showed Mr Draper had traces of cannabis and cocaine in his system, but Dr Barker said it was not possible to say whether the drugs had impacted him at the time of the crash.
The inquest also heard from PC Cooper, a collision reconstruction officer, who said there were no problems with the road surface and that the crash had been due to 'rider error'.
He said CCTV footage showed Mr Draper attempting to cling to the bike's handlebars after becoming unseated during the wheelie manoeuvre.
PC Cooper said the bike then travelled for about 40 metres before smashing into the gate post.
Ruling that Mr Draper's death had been due to a 'road traffic collision', coroner Professor Dr Alan Walsh issued a warning to motorcyclists.
"People should be aware of the dangers of performing wheelies on motorcycles and the dangers of riding motorcycles in that manner," he said. "It's so easy to lose control."
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