Bristol biker drove into bus
A Bristol motorcyclist was more than three times the drink drive limit when he rode into the back of a parked double-decker bus and died, an inquest heard.
Lorry driver Michael Lee, 43, was also unlikely to have fastened his motorcycle helmet before he set off on his Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200cc and crashed into the First bus on August 23 last year.
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Flax Bourton court, where the inquest is being held
Avon deputy coroner Terry Moore was told that Mr Lee's helmet came off when his motorbike struck the bus in Shirehampton Road and was later found near the scene of the crash undamaged.
Mr Lee, who lived in Blaise Walk, Sea Mills, died four hours after the crash at the Bristol Royal Infirmary from a head injury.
The inquest was told that CCTV cameras on the bus captured Mr Lee on his motorbike shortly before and immediately after the crash, which happened at 8.30pm.
He had been following behind the bus as it headed from Shirehampton towards Sea Mills when the vehicle pulled in to a stop near Penpole Lane to drop passengers off.
At yesterday's inquest at Flax Bourton, Mr Moore was told Mr Lee's motorcycle hit the corner of the stationary bus at about 26mph and the rider was knocked to the other side of the road.
The bus driver dashed to the aid of Mr Lee and he and other members of the public helped lift the motorcycle from him before an ambulance arrived and he was taken to hospital.
Tests revealed Mr Moore had 277 milligrams of alcohol in his system per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit for driving is 80mg.
Mr Moore said that a reading of 300 milligrams was associated with serious alcohol poisoning.
Recording a verdict of accidental death, he said: "He appears to have caught the offside rear of the bus with his motorcycle handlebars and mirror, he was thrown from the bike and his helmet was thrown off and separated from him prior to him hitting his head.
"The other factor is the amount of alcohol found in his body. We all know that driving and alcohol don't mix. We could say that someone who hadn't had alcohol might have fastened their helmet."
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by lauren, bristol
Monday, February 21 2011, 2:35AM
“u can stuff ur comments my uncle was a lovely man who you didnt know a thing about, and im sure if u did know him u wouldnt even dream of writting any of this, im sure that u and ur family have made mistakes. and to the man who said 'u cant believe he was a lorry driver' he was known to be 1 of the best lorry drivers going!! he was a brilliant dad to his daughter and would do anything 4 her!!!!!!!! how would u feel if this was ur dad u r reading about u cold heartless gits!!!!!!!!!!! ur judging a mans death on a news reporter that clearly got loads of facts wrong u lot dont even know the real story, yet ur quick enough to diss a man that cant stand up 4 himself, on the internet for evry1 and his family that r grieving to see!!!!!!!!!!! michael lee was 1 of the best uncles i could of ever asked for, me and my family all miss him more and more evryday we r the 1s that have 2 deal with the fact that we will never c him or hear his voice again, his daughter had to watch her dad pass away on a life support machine and then read ur discusing bullsh**t comments. by the evidence from the inquest mike was driving safely and sensibly, it was just a miss judgment when trying to drive around the bus as another car was coming the other way. michelle your very spiteful and sad, u need to go about your own problems and stop commenting on someones you dont even know. i think my family have gone through enough pain! mike has had 3 tributes in various newspapers showing what a lovely caring man he really was and the comments you have wrote sound like you have made him out to be a careless alcoholic, how can you judge a man like this when you didnt know him. your absolutly discusting saying he had a deathwish and fulfilled it, you are sick in the head.”
by chloe, Bristol
Saturday, August 15 2009, 10:48PM
“I think, that anyone who decides to leave hurtful comments, or anything disrespectful needs to go get a job and leave people to greive.
He was a good man, had a good life & a good family.
You're just too selfish to consider anyone else's feelings..
It was his own fault, we all know that. So please, just leave it.
Thankfully he didn't hurt of injure anyone else..
I went past on my bus home that night and saw the bike, and had to go around the accident, i didn't even realize it was my uncle! :/ :(
So please, just leave your spiteful comments to yourself, what's done is done.
No-one else was injured, or hurt.
So stop commenting on this, especially if you're not welcome..
Go get a job.”
by sandra, sea mills
Saturday, August 15 2009, 4:37PM
“NORMAN AND SAME OLD THING
i would just like to say, ''thank you for your supporting comments.
it is nice to know there are some decent people here, and not just HORRIBLE, HURTFUL people.”
by Same Old Thing, Bristol
Saturday, August 15 2009, 7:06AM
“So many unnecessary comments merely reflect on what a sad and warped society we live in. I assume that all you 'disgusted' and other perfect humans ahve never made a wrong decision or mistake in their entire live's?
Guess what, we all make errors of judgement, sometimes foolish, sometimes due to problems that may affect us all in different ways.
I asume you will all be applying for the position of God when it next becomes vacant. Get off your high horses, mind your own business and stop making an issue out of something that does not affect your life in the slightest. You are very sad and thoughtless people, this guy may have made a drunken error but you people are actually sober (I assume) and feel you can act irresponsibly. Idiots.”
by Norman, Bristol
Saturday, August 15 2009, 6:51AM
“Sandra and Chloe, please take no notice of some of the vindictive and downright nasty comments posted here. Please understand that these do not reflect the opinions of the majority just a small minority who for some reason find some twisted pleasure in upsetting people. No matter what the circumstances surrounding the mans death there is no reason to post such nasty comments given the fact that the posters did not even know the person concerned. I am surprised that the EP has not removed some of these comments and I think the fact that they have not reflects badly upon them. My sympathy is with the family and friends at this distressing time.”