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A young mechanic died after losing control of his motorbike, an inquest heard.
Patrick Sawicki, better known as Pat, crashed while riding along Navigation Way on December 8. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
An inquest at Preston Coroners Court today (14 April) heard that the 18-year-old had spent the previous night at a friend’s house, having decided to stay in part due to not wanting to ride in poor weather conditions.
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The following day was much clearer and he left at around 3.30pm. Around 20 minutes later, Pat, who was born in Germany and lived in Preston, was attempting to take a right bend when he lost control of the bike and both he and the vehicle left the road.
A passing pedestrian, Gareth Williams, was walking along the road and heard the motorbike engine before witnessing Pat take a corner drop to his knee on the bike “like he was on a race track”.
According to a statement which was summed up by area coroner Chris Long, Mr Williams decided to turn back towards the direction of the bike as he “had a feeling something would happen”.
His statement explained: “He dropped his knee to the right and his peg hit the floor. He moved toward the other direction and completely lost control of the bike.”
Mr Williams called 999 before using his first aid training to check for signs of life and a pulse. The emergency services soon took over and Pat was pronounced dead at the scene soon after.
A post-mortem examination concluded that Pat had suffered multiple trauma and had injuries which were not survivable. It also found no evidence of any drink or drugs in his blood.
Giving evidence in the coroners court, PC Anthony Gray said there were no other vehicles involved in the incident and there were no defects in the road or on the bike which could have contributed. He added that witnesses had reported seeing the bike travelling at speed, including one pedestrian who estimated it to be travelling 50mph and one driver who was overtaken while driving at the 30mph limit.
But he said there was no way of knowing what speed Pat was travelling at the point of collision.
Concluding the inquest, Mr Long said: “Mr Sawicki failed to navigate a bend in the road while riding his motorcycle before falling from the motorcycle. As a result, he suffered traumatic injuries from which he did not recover.” A conclusion of road traffic collision was recorded.
‘Pat will live on through us’ family pay tribute
Speaking after the inquest Patrick’s mother Helena Brian told Blog Preston: “Following the inquest we would like to thank the witnesses at the scene of the collision.
“We know they did absolute best to help our Pat before the paramedics arrived.
“A big thank you to the paramedics, doctors and police officers who arrived at the scene shortly after.
“We are so grateful for all the help, from the moment they answered the call all the way to today.
“A special thank you to Family Liaison Officers who were guiding us through this difficult time for our family.
“Thank you to everyone who donated to Pat’s funeral fund and Biker Escorts UK – you all made Pat’s send off so much more special.
“Pat will live on through us and through his amazing friends.”
In a tribute released after his death Pat’s family described him as “a true force of nature”.
They said: “At 18, Patrick lived more in his years than most could hope for in a lifetime. He leaves behind a tapestry of beautiful memories and stories that will continue to inspire his family and friends.
“Loved by so many, he touched all our hearts with his kindness and loyalty to his friends. Fierce protector of his friends against bullies and amazing brother to his siblings, he was one of a kind.
“Immensely passionate about motorsports, cars, motorbikes or anything to do with mechanics he died doing what he loved most. He will be deeply missed by those who knew him.”
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