Grieving mum’s warning after moped tragedy

Reporter: HELEN KORN
Date online: 09 February 2012

A MOTHER has warned youngsters not to ride mopeds “if they don’t know how to” after the tragic death of her teenage son.

Adam Mitchell (19) of Old Lane, Chadderton, suffered fatal head injuries when he lost control of his friend’s scooter and collided with a lamp-post on a footpath by fields at the end of Granby Street, Chadderton.

After resuscitation attempts, the joiner died on August 8, 2010 at the Royal Oldham Hospital.

Speaking after yesterday’s inquest, his mother, Paula Mitchell, said: “If you can’t ride a bike and you haven’t got a licence, you shouldn’t do it — it’s stupid.

“You can ride a moped at 15 — that age should be made much higher.”

Coroner Simon Nelson, who gave a verdict of accidental death, said he accepted that Adam was the sole rider of the bike and that his helmet had come off during the incident.

He added: “I am sure that bikes had been ridden in this area and in other areas to the annoyance of neighbours and they are ridden by youths who are neither experienced or insured to use those vehicles.

“Perhaps if there was some other location that could be used for this purpose, that would be very much the preferred option.”

The court heard how Adam had been with his friend, Verl Wood — who had bought and restored an Aprilia SR 125 — which they took up to the fields.

Adam, who held a provisional licence, put a helmet on and rode up the footpath, at a speed estimated to be between 50 and 60mph.

The only independent witness, Alun Jones, who said he watched the accident unfold from his bedroom window, described the youths as “recklessly” racing up and down the footpath.

Mr Jones said that after the collision, the boys were in a panic and shouting for an ambulance to be called.

Two of the boys moved the bike away from the scene and into some grass, some distance away, but there were differing reasons for doing this in their statements.

Adam’s friend, Paul Smith, who was injured when the bike hit him during the collision, said in interview, that a new engine had been put in the moped, to make it faster than a standard moped, while Dylan Hardy, told police that Adam “took the corner far too quickly”.

While the bike was deemed mechanically sound by police investigators, it had no registration plate, had not passed an MOT and was not taxed.

Toxicologist Marcus Donohue, said Adam’s blood sample contained cannabis, which may have adversely affected his ability to control the bike.

Mr Nelson told the young witnesses at the inquest: “I hope you will spread the message to your friends and if that results in the saving of one life, you will be doing a service to the family of Adam Mitchell, who very unnecessarily came by his death.”

Mrs Mitchell said that Adam, one of five children, “was outgoing, funny, charming — he was everybody’s friend. No one had a bad word to say about him.”