Leukaemia patient dies in crash

10:00am Tuesday 2nd October 2001

A LEUKAEMIA sufferer died after crashing his Cagiva 125 motorbike into a car in Beckenham.

Learner David Carr, 18, was riding along Blakeney Road on March 25, when he ploughed into a Renault Clio which was turning into Rectory Road.

His father Graham Carr, of Queen's Road, Beckenham, told an inquest held at Croydon Coroner's Court that David's leukaemia did not affect his abilities and he was a responsible motorcyclist.

Motorist Karen Ayles, of Rectory Road, said she did not see the motorcycle as she drove up Blakeney Road with her daughter and moved to the middle to turn right into Rectory Road.

“I looked left to make sure there were no cars but as I looked right, in a fraction of a second, there was an impact,” she said.

Crash expert PC Jonathan Webb said David was travelling at a speed between 33 and 39mph and the force of the knock made the Clio rotate. An air ambulance was called but he died before reaching hospital.

Pathologist Professor Sir Colin Berry gave the cause of death as multiple injuries.

An accident verdict was recorded.

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