A motorcyclist who rigged a camera on the front of his machine ended up filming his own death smash.
An inquest heard that 39-year-old Dean Walkden died instantly after being thrown from his bike as he attempted to overtake a car that was turning right.
Mr Walkden’s, a metal fabricator at East Lancashire Fabrications in Accrington and part time DJ, had made a device to hold his mobile camera on the front of his bike. He wanted to film fellow motorbiker David Morley on a trip to north Yorkshire.
But their journey on a sunny Sunday morning in July came to a tragic end with the accident in Waddington.
Police recovered footage from Mr Walkden’s phone from a ditch which confirmed the car was indicating and had pulled to the centre of the road immediately before the fatal impact.
There was no suggestion that Mr Walkden had been speeding. He had probably been travelling at between 30 and 50 mph on the 60mph road.
Mr Morley told the inquest that he was ahead of Mr Walkden. Mr Morley said he had overtaken a black BMW and saw a silver car in front and was aware it was slowing down and then started to indicate to turn right. Instead of pulling in behind him, Mr Walkden overtook and seconds later hit the car.
He was thrown from his powerful Kawasaki ZX6R and died instantly as a result of multiple injuries.
Car passenger Ann Forest said she heard a ‘terrible bang like an explosion’ and she and driver Graham Robbins were both showered with glass.
Police accident investigator Steven Burgess said the device fitted to the bike to hold the mobile phone would not have affected the bike in any way. He said: "He was clearly a very skilled man."
At the time of the accident Mr Walkden’s family described him as a man who lived life to the full who was never without a smile.
He lived with his long-term partner Kirsty George at Heys Street in Haslingden.
Recording a verdict of accidental death coroner Michael Singleton said photographs provided by PC Burgess showed no signs indicating the approaching junction.
