Death of officer during charity cycle right was an accident says coroner

Other detectives watched in horror as their colleague died – only 90 minutes after setting out from the guesthouse where they had stayed in high spirits.

Detective Inspector Peter Parchment, 49, was very pleased at already having got up Settle Hill, where he had fallen off the previous year, and been very embarrassed.

But the elation felt by the officers turned to tragedy as the ride came unstuck on the two mile descent in Pateley Bridge.

It was made clear the officer was not speeding but he was travelling too fast as he went into a bend coming down Greenhow Hill.

The bike struck the edge of the road and both the officer and machine flew through the air and smashed into a tree further down the road.

The Nottinghamshire police officer – taking part with colleagues in a Coast to Coast charity challenge – was the first cyclist to die on Greenhow Hill. However, there had been three accidents over the last couple of years in which cyclists had been injured, it was said and a car and a motor cycle had been involved in a fatal crash.

The Highways Agency says there is nothing it can do to improve safety on the hill which has a 14 per cent gradient on descent.

But although the hill is part of the coast-to-coast cycle route there are no warning signs for riders as they approach the brow of the hill to take care going down.

Tragedy struck as Mr Parchment was cycling with friend and colleague Detective Constable Michael Eaton on the morning of April 24.

They were among half a dozen officers on the second day of the three day coast-to-coast ride, raising money for a fund set up in a colleague’s memory.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Coroner Geoff Fell said: “It seems to me this was an error of judgment on Mr Parchment’s part.”

This was probably a combination of speed and the line he took around the bend, the coroner added.

He did not think signs for cyclists would do any good but he would ask the Highways Agency to monitor accidents involving cyclists.