A MAN from Mochdre died after a crash involving the motorcycle he was riding resulted in him hitting a tree.

Anthony David Hughes, of Conway Road, died aged 42 at the Royal Stoke University Hospital in the early hours of July 14, 2023.

Following a full inquest into his death, held at County Hall, Ruthin today (June 4), Kate Robertson, assistant coroner for North Wales East and Central, recorded a conclusion of road traffic collision.

Mr Hughes’ medical cause of death was ruled as hypoxic brain injury due to cardiac arrest, due to road traffic collision.

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The inquest heard that, shortly after 8pm on July 11, 2023, a motorist saw Mr Hughes riding a Kawasaki motorcycle on Conway Road at a speed appearing to be in excess of the 30mph limit.

He then saw Mr Hughes hit the tree, prompting him to stop his own vehicle and see to him, as did another driver.

Another witness said she saw two bikes riding in close proximity to each other, and administered first aid to Mr Hughes until paramedics arrived at the scene.

Mr Hughes, who formerly served in the Welsh Guards, was airlifted from the scene to the hospital in Stoke, where he died several days later after undergoing emergency surgery.

A toxicology report found the level of alcohol in Mr Hughes’ blood was roughly twice the legal driving limit of 80 micrograms per 100 millilitres of blood.

Brian Grocott, a forensic collision investigator with North Wales Police, arrived at the scene at 8.45pm on July 11, when the weather was “fine and bright”, with good visibility.

Mr Hughes’ motorbike was inspected, with no mechanical defects found which could have been contributory to the crash.

Closed circuit television footage captured at the scene found that Mr Hughes had caught up with the other motorcyclist, a Domino’s Pizza delivery driver, having travelled approximately the same distance as him in roughly one-third of the time.

Though, Mr Grocott felt the delivery driver’s actions had also not contributed to the crash; rather, he said, it was Mr Hughes’ own excessive speed and impairment through alcohol consumption.

It was as he approached a right-hand bend that his motorcycle’s tyres hit a kerb moments before Mr Hughes hit the tree.

Ultimately, Mr Grocott said, the crash could have been “avoidable” had Mr Hughes been riding his motorcycle within the speed limit, and even more so had he not consumed such an amount of alcohol prior.

Concluding, Ms Robertson offered her condolences to Mr Hughes’ loved ones attending the inquest, one of whom thanked those at the scene and at the Royal Stoke University Hospital for the care provided to him.

“By the number of you here, it’s evident the love and care you had for Tony,” she told them.

In a statement last July, following Mr Hughes’ death, his family said he will be “sadly missed”.

The statement added: “Tony will be sadly missed by his family and many friends who called him their loveable rogue, and Pep to the Welsh Guards comrades, whom he served with and was proud to have worn the uniform.”