Jan Bodnar · Prevention of Future Deaths report

On 13/07/2015 I commenced an investigation into the death of Jan Bodnar, 36 . The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 28 April 2016. The conclusion of the inquest was Road Traffic Collision.
On 12th July 2015 Jan Bodnar was riding his motorcycle at high speed on the A505 near Ashwell. The motorcycle collided with a car crossing the carriageway causing fatal injuries to Mr Bodnar. The medical cause of death was Multiple Fractures and Internal Organ Injuries
Trauma 1b: Trauma

The deceased was the rider of a motorcycle travelling at high speed along the dual carriageway A505 from Baldock towards Royston. At the junction with Slip End Farm an Audi motor vehicle which had been travelling in the opposite direction on the A505 turned into an opening in the central reservation in order to cross the other carriageway into the farm entrance. The weather was fine and clear. The motor cycle struck the rear of the Audi.
The evidence of the Forensic Collision Investigator was that prior to the collision the motorcycle had been travelling at approximately 92 mph in the offside lane of the A505 . His evidence also showed that at the time of the collision the visibility for the driver of the Audi to her left of traffic approaching was severely limited by trees, shrubs and other plant growth on the central reservation. His evidence showed that because of this restriction of visibility the Audi driver would not have been able to see the motorcycle when she moved out of the opening, and that even had the motorcycle's speed been within the 70 mph limit the Audi driver may well not have been able to see the motorcycle as she began to pull out from the central reservation. He measured the visibility available to the Audi driver as 87 metres. He measured the same line of visibility, after the growth has been cut, as 270 metres.

(1) That the state of the central reservation at this junction was dangerous in that the plant growth severely restricted the view for a driver of traffic approaching from the left.
(2) The evidence showed that the growth had been cut back a week or so after this incident, but the risk of danger to motorists will only be avoided if the growth at this junction is regularly cut back.
(3) The evidence showed that similar risks may well be present at other similar junctions on this road.