A MOTORCYCLIST died as a result of 'misjudging' a bend while he was riding in Belbroughton, a coroner has concluded.

Gary Davies, aged 40, died on the afternoon of Sunday, June 11, when he was hit by a car after falling from his motorbike on Hackmans Gate Lane.

Worcestershire Coroners Court was told on Tuesday (August 28) how Mr Davies – described as a very experienced and skilful rider – was involved in a collision with a grey Ford Focus and grey Fiat Punto at 2.41pm as he travelled from Belbroughton.

Giving evidence, David Wilkes, the driver of the Ford Focus, said Mr Davies, from Halesowen, leant too far to take a bend, causing him to fall from his bike.

After coming off his motorbike, Mr Davies slid onto the other side of the road where he was hit by the Focus, which was travelling in the opposite direction, while his bike was hit by the Punto.

Speaking at the hearing, Police Constable Mark Murphy, who investigated the scene following the crash, said he believed Mr Davies made an 'error in his judgement' of both his speed and road positioning.

A post-mortem examination found Mr Davies’ death was caused by shock and haemorrhage following multiple trauma, consistent with a road traffic collision, while no drugs or alcohol were found in his body.

Senior coroner for Worcestershire Geraint Williams concluded that Mr Davies’s death was 'accidental' after he 'misjudged' the speed and position of the bend, which resulted in him losing control and becoming separate from the motorcycle.

Nothing could have been done by the drivers of the two cars to avoid the collision, he added.

Following his death, Mr Davies’ parents Gillian and Eddie and his partner Claire described him as a 'very popular person, with a great sense of humour.

They said: “He had a real zest for life and loved nothing more than his beloved motorcycle, finding endless joy in both riding and working on it.

“His sense of humour will be missed and he will truly be a sad loss to us all.”