Some of you may recall that last September I submitted quite a long post in relation to a motorcycle incident that had occurred 12 months to the day previously.
Ironically the following day I received notification that as regards one of the people involved in a claim from the No Win No Fee solicitors appointed had been dropped. Due to the power of the internet and the potential to identify persons I thought it better that my post be temporarily withdrawn until notification that all potential civil proceedings had officially been withdrawn. Today was that day.
So to refresh your memories I will republish my original thread:
It is 1 year today since I an 12 other bikers set off for a trip to Scotland. First destination was to be Jedburgh and the next day onto Perth.
To give some background the group consisted members of 3 riding groups with the common denominator being my friend who we will call rider A. He brought members of the 3 groups together. I had been away to Scotland and Wales with some of them before and was familiar with the remainder.
I had been to Scotland with one rider, who we will call rider B, on a previous occasion. As a rider he was somewhat erratic. A confident rider but also a risk taker. He lived for his biking. He had previous for always wanting to be at the front, despite not being the ride leader, overtaking on solid whites and overtaking someone who was already overtaking. I’d had words before in a joking style about his manner of riding, often referring to the buying of cream cakes all round for infringements (a punishment inflicted on Police drivers during their driver training). He was an artic driver by profession who’d fairly recently accrued well over 11 points for 2 speeding offences but managed to hold onto his licence. As time has gone on various individuals who were not even in these particular groups but have had association with the individual and confirmed that it wasn’t a case of if but when. Having said all that, he was a likeable fellow with a wife and two late teenage children.
Our first destination was the A66 layby at Scotch Corner for a brew where one of the group indicates the canvas showing through his rear tyre and has to divert after making arrangements for some fresh rubber.
Our next destination was a café just outside Alston on the edge of Cumbria. We had lost one rider who we will call rider C but eventually managed to home him into our location by phone. Rider C had only recently passed his test and was riding cautiously.
The outside tables had jugs with numbered wooden spoons. I asked rider B to hold out his hand and tapped it with the spoon. “But I’ve paid all my cream cake fines.” Says he. “That’s not for what you have done, it’s for what you are going to do.” Just my way of subtly telling him to behave.
The route was to take us around the west of Keilder Forest to Newcastleton and onto Jedburgh.
The group set off but soon got split up. I remained behind rider C as it was clear he was struggling to maintain the pace and didn’t wish to destroy his confidence by overtaking with everyone else. I didn’t want to lose him again and I had the routes.
We arrived at Newcastleton and regrouped having been split up. I was the last bike there with rider C infront. Some refuelled and we set off along the B6357 towards Bonchester Bridge. A nice twisty road in good condition.
The group got split in half with the first group disappearing into the distance and the second group’s progress being dictated by cautious rider C.
Some of us were connected by Bluetooth intercoms.
As we reached a long straight rider A announces he is overtaking me and does so. A few seconds later rider B does likewise (his intercom is not connected). They both overtake rider C who is directly infront of me.
So now in order we have riders A, B, C , myself and a rider we will call rider D and another couple of bikes behind him.
I’ve interspersed some photos as things progress:
www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.2977339,-2.6642999,3a,15y,8.8h,86.31t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVQG2n-xlzD-p5ggnYWW_EA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en
In the next phot you will see the road bends to the right. What is lost due to the height of the camera is that the road rises to a crest then drops away quite sharply, bends to the right and then left.
tinyurl.com/2249cvbj
www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.3008713,-2.6629141,3a,75y,61.09h,73.66t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-AcEw9Tlg6jzrx9-HhVJHQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en
From a distance of around of about 200X I see rider A go over the crest followed by rider B.
The next thing I see is rider B still on his bike flying through the air and out of sight. I then see rider B having parted company with his bike flying through the air and disappear into the undergrowth. I shout “One down!” over the intercom.
As we reach the crest rider C, infront of me, continues straight on over the gravel layby, over a ditch and impact the bank. He is thrown off his bike. (Presumably distracted by what had occurred infront) I shout “Two down!”
As I’m coming to a halt rider D comes up my nearside and carries straight on over the gravel and does exactly the same as rider C and comes off his bike.
I call "Three down! " over the intercom.
I park up and two bikes pull up behind me. Professional head on and first thing is a quick assessment of riders C & D. They are conscious, responding and moving. Appearing to be shaken but not stirred.
Now to find rider B. I cannot see his bike or him. I walk around the corner and am met by rider A on foot who had heard me call "One down". I walk further away from the impact area are and find bike B laid in the ditch adjacent to the road but no visible rider. After several shout outs I receive a response and a search of the undergrowth finds rider B laid in another ditch. If you zoom out of the 3rd image you can see the ditch running across the mouth of the Y shape road/track junction. Its an older image to the rest as the area is now totally de-forested.
He's conscious and responding but clearly in need of not moving and medical assistance.
Telephone reception was poor but fortunately I'd suggested we all download the What 3 Words App incase of separation or incident so once contact had been made were able to summon Ambulance and Police.
At that point in time as far as I was concerned, and later corroborated, we had 3 individual collisions and no an immediate concern for rider B who was transported to hospital.
Riders C and D were now up and walking about, shaken but not stirred.
Rider D was able to extricate his bike and with a few adjustments the bike was rideable. He wanted to get to the hotel and rider A volunteered to escort him Rider C's bike was not rideable and recovery was arranged.
Rider A admitted that he had gone over the crest, realised that the bend was sharper than anticipated, couldn’t brake or swerve on the gravel layby so carried straight on. Fortunately, he was more to the right so hit the verge, travelled along it and regained the road. He was not aware of what had happened to rider B behind him at that point.
It appeared that rider B was more to the left, again confronted by the bend sharper than anticipated, travelled straight on but hit the verge bank which launched him and the bike into the air. They travelled airborne for some distance before the bike impacted with the side of the ditch and launched the rider again into the air.
The Police completed a limited initial scene investigation due to no serious concerns for rider B at that time. The scene was cleared and everyone resumed. A fatal or potential fatal entails much greater initial scene investigation.
We all met up at our hotel in Jedburgh with rider B detained in hospital.
The following day rider C went home as a pillion with another of the group members and D was able to ride his bike home. Both were bruised and stiff from their ordeal. The riding group now numbered 9 who continued with the tour.
The main trip had a WhatsApp group for organisation and information purposes and each individual group had pre-existing WhatsApp groups for their own activities.
And then it started.
just shortened one map link as it was too long and making the right hand menu conceal a critical part of the story
Last edited by: R.P. on Mon 20 Mar 23 at 23:11
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Motorcycle Incident Scotland. Part 2. new
Motorcycle Incident Scotland. Part 2. new
