Death-crash dad had gone for baby’s milk

A Moorside father-of-two who nipped out to buy baby milk died when his scooter collided with a reversing Toyota Landcruiser, an Oldham inquest heard.

Michael Lofthouse (27), of Hayfield Close, was on Turf Pit Lane on his Yamaha scooter in torrential rain when he collided with the Toyota coming out of a driveway. Mr Lofthouse died from his injuries when he was flung into a wall.

The court heard that Lofthouse wasn’t licenced to ride the bike and had just filled out an application form.

Recording a verdict of misadventure, coroner Simon Nelson said: “He should not have been on the road using that vehicle. He had no lawful authority — not just from a licence point of view but from an insurance perspective, because of the potential risk to third parties. The prevailing circumstances on that day would have been challenging for anyone.”

Witness Jennifer Ashmore told the inquest how she walked home in horrendous rain from work, swore at a moped which splashed her and a short time later heard a big bang. The rider was wearing a high-visibilty jacket and helmet.

Off-duty fireman Gary Park ,who lives near the accident scene, was praised for the way he carried out CPR until paramedics arrived. The Toyota’s owner, John Glynn, said he had been reversing off his drive for 50 years without an accident.


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