Inquiry continues into biker's death (From Daily Echo)

Inquiry continues into death of biker in crash on A35 in the New Forest

10:00am Monday 7th May 2012 in News By Emma Streatfield , Senior Reporter

INVESTIGATIONS are continuing today into the death of a biker in a horror crash in the New Forest.

The motorcyclist, understood to be a man from Southampton, was riding west along the A35 between Lyndhurst and Dorset when he was in collision with a white Mercedes Vito van travelling in the other direction.

He died at the scene.

Police have not yet named the man saying formal identification of the victim had not yet taken place.

A spokesman said officers had not been able to contact all the man’s closest family over the weekend.

The crash happened near to Station Road and Holmsley Tea Rooms, in Holmsley, at 4.15pm on Saturday.

It is understood an off-duty paramedic gave assistance at the scene before the arrival of an ambulance and doctor.

A witness at the scene said it had taken nearly 20 minutes for the first ambulance to arrive. It should be eight minutes for life threatening emergencies.

A spokeswoman for South Central Ambulance Service admitted it had taken 18 minutes for the first medical team to arrive and said there had been a huge demand in that area that day.

“It’s very unfortunate – we were having a busy day and resources were stretched and that was the nearest resource and got there as quickly as possible to the scene,” she said.

This is not the first time this stretch of the A35 has claimed lives.

Mandy Evans, 38, of Kingsclere Avenue, Weston, Southampton, died after her Renault flat-bed van was in collision with a Volkswagen Transporter on the A35 near Holmsley in 2010.

Twenty-year-old trainee chef Carl Symes from Mudeford, Dorset, was found dead in his car, which had left the road near the Holmsley junction of the A35 in 2007.

New Forest district councillor for Bashley ward Alan Rice said he knew of an accident on the same stretch last year and said it was a cause for concern.

Fellow councillor Ann Hickman, who represents Bransgore and Burley, said it was a stretch that had seen accidents in the past and called for a lowering of the 60mph speed limit.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident itself or those that saw either vehicle in the period leading up to the accident to come forward, quoting Operation Larch.

Call Police Sergeant Andrew Lynch of the road deaths investigation team based at Eastleigh on 101.