Wem: Man dies after losing control of motorcycle inquest concludes

The hearing, held in Shirehall in Shrewsbury on Tuesday, June 14 heard how the Craig Lear-Jones died in Wem on March 12 this year after colliding with a wall in High Street while riding his Bullit motorcycle.

Police and paramedics arrived at the incident but announced the 28-year-old ground worker was found to have died at the scene.

The hearing was told that Mr Lear-Jones was travelling at 41 mph at the time of the collision, on a road where the limit was 30 mph.

But the hearing was also told that he had taken action to avoid a pedestrian who had run into the road shortly beforehand.

Mr Ellery said he could not be certain whether he had braked in an effort to reduce his speed overall, or whether he was taking evasive action.

Mr Lear-Jones, whose sister Tara had also died in a road collision in 2017, had been to the Fox Inn with his grandfather before the collision, the court heard, and he had alcohol in his system when he died.

Tributes left to Craig Lear-Jones in Wem.

The inquest was chaired by Mr John Ellery, the chief coroner for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin who read findings from investigators about how Mr Lear-Jones lost control on a bend and applied emergency brakes.

Mr Ellery said: "The accident occurred when the motorcycle hit a brick wall.

"As a result Mr Lear-Jones suffered severe injuries.

"He was travelling above 30 mph and travelling at 41mph.

"A pedestrian ran across the road. He collided with a low brick wall.

"It is either emergency brake, travelling too fast or a pedestrian running across the road."

Mr Ellery concluded the incident was a road traffic collision.

He said: "Craig died when he lost control of the motorcycle.

"It is a fact there was alcohol in the system.

"It was a road traffic collision."

Mr Ellery offered his condolences to the family of Mr Lear-Jones.

Mr Lear Jones was born in 1993 in Shrewsbury.

He is survived by his parents, Andrea and Matthew, and siblings, Gemma, Harriet, Jack, Owen and Amber.

Mr Lear-Jones was also an uncle to Imogen, Willow, Alfie and Lola.

Speaking to the Whitchurch Herald in March, Andrea said he had a "heart of gold."

She added: "So many people have left tributes up the road and I don't know who they but there's so many.

"It makes us feel proud that people have been looking out for us and they have been very generous with their support as we no strangers to tragedy.

"There's a lot of flowers down the road and when Tara died there was lots of flowers here too.

We just want him to be remembered as an outgoing, fun-loving, loved son, brother and uncle and will also be your friend with his heart of gold."

"We hope he is at peace with Tara."