A motorcyclist died after he swerved into the path of a car to avoid a turning vehicle just yards from his home.

Gareth Brightmore was riding along Keysford Lane in Horsted Keynes, near Haywards Heath, when his Yamaha motorcycle collided with an oncoming Mercedes.

The 20-year-old, of Birchgrove Road, Horsted Keynes, had veered into the path of the vehicle in an attempt to avoid a blue Ford Focus which was attempting a u-turn in front of him.

He suffered massive head injuries and was flown to hospital but died soon after.

An inquest at Haywards Heath town hall today heard the accident happened on August 28 last year as Mr Brightmore was riding his black 125cc motorcycle.

West Sussex coroner Penelope Schofield recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Jackie van Leeputten witnessed the accident as she was driving along the road after leaving Haywards Heath.

She said she saw the Ford Focus parked up on the opposite side of the road, facing her, before it started to pull out into the carriageway.

She said: "I became aware of a stationary vehicle on the side of the road. As I started to come up the hill the car in front of me was coming up to the bend.

"I saw a motorbike coming around the corner and you could see what was going to happen.

"I would have thought he would have seen the blue car, but then he seemed to cut across in front of the vehicle in front of me."

She said Mr Brightmore collided with the oncoming Mercedes and he was thrown over the roof of the vehicle, before landing on the road.

She said the visibility on the bend is poor but that none of the vehicles were travelling very fast.

Collision investigator PC Christopher Harrison said Mr Brightmore had to swerve into the offside lane, into the path of the Mercedes, to avoid the blue Ford Focus as it pulled out.

He said the motorcyclist had been wearing a crash helmet and there were no mechanical defects with any of the vehicles involved.

And he said a toxicology report showed Mr Brightmore had evidence of cannabis in his blood at the time of the accident.

Mr Harrison said it was Mr Brightmore's actions which however led to his death.

But the police officer did admit though that the driver of the Focus claimed he had been indicating to turn into the road, but on investigation the indicators were in a neutral position.

Friends left floral tributes and photographs of former St Giles C of E Primary School pupil Mr Brightmore at the site of the accident following his death.

Horsted Keynes parish councillors have previously called for a lower speed limit to be imposed on the 60mph road.

But highways chiefs told them there has not been enough accidents to justify it.

Councillor Reg Stewart has described the stretch as lethal. He claims high banks on either side of the road on Keysford Lane offers motorists less room to swerve away from danger.