Peel man's death was 'unintended consequence of an unintended act'

Verdict of accidental death recorded at inquest

A warning that this story contains information which some readers may find upsetting.

A verdict of accidental death has been recorded at the inquest of a Peel man who died as a result of a traffic collision on 7 August last year.

At Douglas Courthouse today (25 April) Nesta Haselden's inquest was concluded with the deputy coroner of inquests telling his family his death was an 'unintended consequence of an unintended act'.

The 21-year-old died of head injuries after falling from his motorbike into the path of oncoming traffic near QEII High School on Douglas Road.

Driving conditions were described as 'perfect', with no contaminants present on the road and the sun not factoring into visibility issues.

The private banker and youth worker was leaving the town on his Yamaha DT125X to play in a work football match.

He was described as an 'experienced rider of motorcycles' who was 'sensible on a bike' and 'had a lot to look forward to', including a planned holiday to Miami the following month.

The court heard witness statements from motorists in the area at the time, who saw Mr Haselden's bike 'wobbling' before the accident.

Travelling from Peel towards Douglas behind another vehicle, he fell from his motorcycle, and into the path of an oncoming Nissan Micra, which was travelling towards Peel at the time.

Tyre marks on the road indicated the bike braked for around 18.18 metres before sliding over.

Drivers at the scene attempted to provide first aid on the roadside, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but Mr Haselden could not be resuscitated.

Deputy Coroner Rebecca Cubbon said she could "see no reason to explain why he lost control of the bike" but that there was "little [the oncoming driver] could've done to avoid a collision".

Offering her condolences to Mr Haselden's family, Deputy Coroner Cubbon said they had showed great 'composure' in the courtroom.