A Launceston chef who died after crashing his motorbike was riding at more than twice the speed limit and doing a wheel stand, a coroner has found.
Jim Colin Handley, 31, died in hospital on December 2, 2023, after his motorcycle collided with a car on Lindsay Street in Invermay.
The sous chef had just finished a shift at a nearby hotel and was riding home when the crash happened.
Handley left the hotel around 5:15pm, rode his Aprilia Tuono out of the car park, turned onto Lindsay Street and accelerated while lifting his front wheel off the road.
He was travelling between 103km/h and 106km/h on the suburban street, which has a 50km/h speed limit.
At the same time, a woman driving a Subaru was attempting a U-turn across the road towards Doyne Street.
A four-wheel-drive ute had just passed between her and the oncoming motorbike, limiting her view.
With the bike’s headlight pointing upwards because of the wheel stand, the driver did not see Handley and turned across his lane.
His front tyre struck the car’s passenger door, with the impact throwing him about one metre into the air.
Members of the public came to his aid and he was taken to the Launceston General Hospital, where he died from multiple injuries.
Neither driver had alcohol or drugs in their system and the road and weather conditions were clear.
Coroner Leigh Mackey found Handley’s riding caused the crash.
“I find that Mr Handley drove his motorcycle at a vastly excessive speed … and on one wheel, and this was a significant cause of the collision,” Mackey said.
Investigators found that, had Handley been riding at 65km/h, the car would have cleared the intersection.
“The collision was preventable had Mr Handley been driving his motorcycle in accordance with applicable road rules and speed limits,” Mackey said.
“His death is a steep price for him, his friends and family, [the driver of the car] and those who rose to the distressing task of coming to his aid to pay for his lack of judgement.”
