Gap year student, 19, killed in high speed motorcycle crash was on hands-free call to his girlfriend who heard him say ‘oh f***’ just before the line went dead, coroner hears

• Luke Batters was going 78mph before losing control of motorbike, inquest heard
• He was on a hands-free call with his girlfriend Ami Fox, the inquest was told
• A postmortem examination found Mr Batters, who had been wearing a helmet at the time of his death, died from multiple injuries caused by trauma 

A teenager who died in a high-speed motorcycle crash was on a hands-free call to his girlfriend who heard him say ‘oh f***’ just before the line cut out, an inquest has heard. 

Luke Batters, 19, was travelling at 78mph seconds before losing control of his motorcycle on a bend in Whitson Common Road, Newport, on December 28 last year, the hearing was told.  

An inquest held at Newport Coroner’s Court heard the former St Alban’s High School pupil had completed a 4am shift at his job in Tesco along with girlfriend Ami Fox, and the pair had then agreed to visit Cardiff Castle with a friend later that day.

Mr Batters had travelled back to girlfriend’s home to prepare for the journey, but with the time inbetween the teenager, who had been on a gap year after taking his A Levels, decided to take his new 700CC Yahama motorbike for a ride in the area when he lost control.

An inquest held at Newport Coroner’s Court heard Luke Batters had completed a 4am shift at his job in Tesco along with girlfriend Ami Fox (both pictured) before the incident

In a statement read in court, Ms Fox said: ‘Myself and Luke and Emily were going to go to Cardiff Castle. It was a spontaneous decision made at that time as we didn’t want to do anything stupidly expensive.

‘Luke would meet us at mine and leave his bags there and go in the car.’

Ms Fox said Mr Batters, who had an A2 motorcycle licence, had arrived at her home before her and had decided to go for a ride ‘around the block’ while waiting.

The court heard the couple had been speaking to each other via hands-free Bluetooth headsets at the time of the crash.

Ms Fox said: ‘He stayed on the phone but I can’t say what we were talking about. 

‘I heard Luke say ”oh f***” and the line went dead. There was no sound after I heard him say that.’

The court heard the couple had been speaking to each other via hands-free Bluetooth headsets at the time of the crash

Ms Fox said: ‘He stayed on the phone but I can’t say what we were talking about. I heard Luke say ”oh f***” and the line went dead. There was no sound after I heard him say that’

During evidence read in court, cyclist Michael Barrell said he had been returning from the Newport Wetlands reserve when Mr Batters overtook on his motorcycle.

Mr Barrell, who said he believed the motorcyclist to be travelling at around 50mph, said: ‘It was quite quiet and at that point I became aware of the sound of a motorbike coming from behind me. He stayed away from the bumpy surface which would have been right to do.

‘He was sat very upright, there was no way he could ride very fast in that position.’

Mr Barrell said he had carried on the journey and rounded a corner when he found Mr Batters on the ground and his motorcycle ‘covered in grass’ in a ditch.

Emergency services were called and arrived along with Ms Fox.

Giving evidence in court, PC Antony Parker said CCTV from a nearby property and a police reconstruction had found Mr Batters to be travelling at around 78mph four seconds before the crash.

It is not known what speed Mr Batters was travelling at when he was driving around the bend.

PC Parker said there was no sign of emergency braking at the point the motorcyclist left the road and hit a lamppost, and said the bike had been found in fifth gear.

He said: ‘If I was approaching that bend I would probably have been in third gear to make sure I still had acceleration of the bend as well.’

In his statement, Mr Batters’ father Dudley Batters described his son as a ‘careful’ driver who had been riding motorcycles for more than a year.

He said: ‘He regularly watched safety videos and watched one on the night before the accident.

‘He was know by his family for not taking risks.’

Recording a conclusion of death by road traffic collision, senior coroner for Gwent Caroline Saunders said Mr Batters had ‘on the balance of probability’ been travelling at speed in excess of the speed limit at the time of his death

During a postmortem examination it was found Mr Batters, who had been wearing a helmet at the time of his death, died from multiple injuries caused by trauma.

A toxicology report found no trace of alcohol or drugs in his body.

Recording a conclusion of death by road traffic collision, senior coroner for Gwent Caroline Saunders said Mr Batters had ‘on the balance of probability’ been travelling at speed in excess of the speed limit at the time of his death.

She said: ‘The speed of the impact was such that Luke died immediately…that was the ultimate error of judgement I’m afraid for which he paid the ultimate price.’

In a tribute at the time of Mr Batters’ death, his family described a ‘precious’ student ‘known for his sunny nature and willingness to help others’.

They said: ‘[Luke] was working through his gap year after taking his A-levels at St Alban’s School in Pontypool before taking up an apprenticeship in electrical engineering.

‘His two major passions were the global internet game Eve Online, where he had many friends and was an accomplished player, and his Yamaha MT-07 motorbike.

‘He took biking very seriously, taking a safe driving course and learning best techniques from experts.

‘Luke also enjoyed spending time with his girlfriend Ami. He was much-loved by his family and friends. He was elder brother to Lucy, 16, beloved only son of Dudley and Jenny Batters, and a precious friend to his grandmother, Louise Morse.’

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