A MOTORCYCLIST who had been for fish and chips with friends was riding in the centre of the road when he was killed in a crash, an inquest heard.
Andrew ‘Winny’ Winrow, 37, was driving from Aberdyfi on the North Wales coast to his home in Irby, Wirral, when his Kawasaki ZX750 collided with a Hyundai car on the A5104 Corwen Road, Pontblyddyn.
Mr Winrow was travelling towards Penyffordd at a speed of more than 70mph, witnesses told the hearing in Flint.
Ron and Felicity Hale were driving their car in the opposite direction when they collided with the rider at about 10pm.
Mr Hale, a former policeman from Corwen, said: “We had been to see our daughter in Bromborough and called at Asda in Queensferry to do some shopping. We drove home and it was a mild night that was just starting to dusk.
“I know the road quite well and was driving at a speed of around 43mph. As I approached a right hand bend, I saw the motorcycle appear around the bend.
“It was driving along the white line in the middle of the road and leaning on its side. He must have been driving at around 70mph.
“The next thing the front of the vehicle was hit and the airbags came out.”
The hearing was told Mr Winrow collided with the car and was thrown 50 yards behind the vehicle.
Mr Hale suffered whiplash and his wife Felicity shoulder injuries. The couple called an ambulance for Mr Winrow who was lying unconscious in the road.
Giving evidence, Mrs Hale said: “It was all over in a flash. It just seemed to happen so quickly. It seemed to me that the rider was out of control.
“He had either realised at the last minute there was a bend or knew the bend was there and hoped that nothing was coming the other way.”
Mr Winrow was taken to the A&E department at Wrexham Maelor Hospital where he died from multiple injuries. Toxicology tests showed he had not consumed alcohol or drugs.
North Wales coroner John Hughes was told Mr Winrow and four friends had arranged to drive to Aberdyfi for a meal of fish and chips. Mr Hughes said the friends had travelled in convoy as was practice for motorcyclists.
Timothy Norton, one of the friends, said the group had arranged to make their way home at their own pace. He said: “Andrew knew the route and the other riders knew the route as well.
“The normal situation when riding in convoy is if any riders get left behind the rest wait at a roundabout. But we were all at our own pace and Andrew was not the last rider in the group.”
Mr Winrow was an administrator at Penny Lane Car Hire in Liverpool. He lived alone and got his motorcycle licence 18 months before his death. Forensic examination of the car and the bike revealed no defects in either vehicle.
Mr Hughes warned of the dangers of motorcycle riding. “Within the motorbike fraternity there is quite a degree of camaraderie,” he said.
“In my experience, men of a certain age ride their high-powered bikes across North Wales for pleasure. Sometimes a person may feel under pressure to catch up with the group but this wasn’t the case here.”
In a statement Mr Winrow’s father, Antony, said: “Andrew was a genuine, warm, selfless man who loved meeting new people. He was never happy being at home and loved being out with friends.
“Our lives would not be what they are today without Andrew. He was loved and will be missed.”
Verdict: Accidental death.