An experienced Devon motorcyclist was killed and another is still recovering from his injuries eight months after a head-on crash, an inquest heard.

Mark Gilbert died when the two motorbikes collided on the B3362 near Launceston shortly before midnight on April 6 of this year.

The 49-year-old was a builder and former tree surgeon from the Beaworthy area of Devon.

Mark Gilbert
Mark Gilbert

An inquest into Mr Gilbert’s death heard how he died of multiple trauma injuries after his bike slid and collided with a Cornish hedge, reports Cornwall Live.

The other rider involved in the crash, 18-year-old Drew Godden, was travelling from his fiancé’s house in Launceston to his home in Newton Abbot when the accident on a slight bend took place.

A statement read to the inquest held at Cornwall Coroner’s Court described how Mr Godden had been due to start a new job the next day and was on his way home to prepare. He remembers nothing from the accident until he woke up in hospital, where he was treated for two months.

He suffered nerve damage in an eye and several broken bones and continues to suffer the after effects. Both bikes were badly damaged.

PC Mike Lackey, who investigated the scene, said the two motorcycles collided head-on and such a crash was “unusual to say the least”.

He confirmed that both riders “should have” had a view of each other and that Mr Gilbert was riding a powerful motorcycle while Mr Godden was on a smaller capacity 125.

PC Lackey said that at the scene there were “fluids, lots of plastic and equipment of the riders strewn around”.

Mr Gilbert’s motorcycle was recovered and found to be in a roadworthy condition whereas, although Mr Godden’s bike had passed an MoT, it was unroadworthy due to a number of modifications he had carried out ahead of a planned sale. However PC Lackey said that he believed none of the defects would have caused or contributed to the collision.

Mr Godden had fitted outer spotlamps on his handlebars and two new bulbs in his headlights.

PC Lackey said: “We were not able to construct how effective the lights would have been at the time of the accident but they should have provided good illumination of the surroundings and road ahead.

“Given the unusual configuration of the headlights, it could be speculated that Mr Gilbert might have been distracted or dazzled by the lights but nothing in terms of facts that show the cause.

“There was no evidence of excess speed from either motorcycle.”

PC Lackey added that evidence showed that for an unknown reason, Mr Gilbert drifted across to Mr Godden’s side of the road and into his path.

Delivering his conclusions, assistant coroner Stephen Covell said that although there was a possibility Mr Gilbert cut the corner, the reason as to why he strayed half a metre to a metre into the opposing lane was uncertain.

Mr Covell delivered a verdict of road traffic collision.

Mr Gilbert left his parents, Claude and Rachel, sister Niki, his wife Kirsty and children Jessica and Ashley.