Brent Smith died in a fatal collision with a van on Station Road near Ottringham on 29 June 2022. Mr Smith, 30, was a father of two and a well-known figure in biker circles in East Yorkshire due to his charity fundraising, including with his own Humberside Crusaders. Members of Mr Smith’s family sat in the Hull courtroom today during an emotional hearing where CCTV footage of the moments before the crash were played. An off-duty nurse who heard the collision from his nearby house rushed to administer first aid within minutes. With knowledge of the equipment carried by ambulances, he urged emergency services to send the air ambulance with its more advanced kit, as he knew from examining him they “needed to bring the hospital to Brent”. “I did all I could, I’m sorry,” he told the court. Professor Paul Marks, HM Senior Coroner, praised Mr Smith’s family for conducting themselves “with great dignity” during proceedings, as those who tried to help Mr Smith described the biker’s final moments. Before an adjournment in proceedings, Mr Smith’s family thanked witnesses for helping Brent as well as for sharing their evidence in court. The driver of the van told the coroner the first time he was aware of Mr Smith’s presence on the road was when he heard him shout “milliseconds before he hit the van.” He was questioned by police after the incident and released with no further action taken against him. The coroner’s verdict is expected tomorrow (5 September).
