The cyclist died after falling off his bike and being hit by a truck. The driver is not answering inquest questions.
Conner died in a crash with a truck after losing control of his off-road bike. The incident happened on Tonge Moor Road in Bolton.
Reports say Conner, from Horwich, hit a car mirror, which made him lose balance. His bike wobbled before he fell off and slid under a truck waiting at lights.
Two drivers honked to warn the truck driver. As the lights changed, he drove forward, driving over Conner and pulling him briefly.
Bystanders, including a nurse, helped. Emergency services arrived around 12:20 pm on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. Conner died at the scene from injuries.
Pawel Pieda drove the truck. He qualified as a driver in Poland and had lived and worked in the UK for ten years. This information came out at the inquest.
Pieda was on his second trip that day, traveling between Irlam and Bolton. He told police he checked all his mirrors and leaned forward to check in front. After checking, he drove forward, moving one meter before hearing a loud bang.
He didn’t know what happened but checked his left mirror and saw a motorcycle. Pieda did not see anyone else and knew something bad happened. He stopped the truck, turned on the lights, and saw the biker, Conner, whom he hadn’t seen before that moment.
The coroner warned Pieda about self-incrimination. Pieda confirmed his statement but wouldn’t answer other questions, fearing self-incrimination each time.
Pieda became emotional, and the coroner asked about his condolences. He also asked if Pieda knew Conner’s mom sought answers, but Pieda repeated that he could not answer.
The family’s lawyer asked Pieda questions about whether he heard the horns and properly checked mirrors, even asking about a dashboard teddy bear. He gave the same answer each time.
The coroner suggested Pieda meet with Conner’s mom, understanding he had legal advice. Conner’s mom felt upset by this decision and still wanted to know what occurred.
He said a private meeting could help both of them, with no lawyers or police present. Pieda answered through his interpreter, “Yes, I will.”
Police did not prosecute Pieda. Christine Sutcliffe drove the car Conner hit, saying it was a slight clip that moved her car. She saw Conner wobbling and losing control.
Kimberley Fitton waited near the truck and said Conner seemed to grab his knees. She honked to warn the truck driver. The bike seemed to come out from under him, and he fell under the truck.
PC Martin Davies checked the vehicles and found no issues with the truck. The bike had loose handlebars and suspension issues, which may have caused Conner to lose control.
He stated that a mirror clip shouldn’t cause that and couldn’t say if Conner overreacted or if it was related to bike defects. The truck’s camera showed mirror checks occurred too late, with the first head movement after moving. PC Davies could not rule out brief glances.
The family’s lawyer asked if proper checks would have stopped Pieda. PC Davies said potentially, yes, noting Pieda had a very brief window to see Conner. The only chance was checking mirrors as Conner lost control and Pieda might have stopped if he’d looked then, needing to look at that specific time.
Even with checks, he might have missed it, as seeing someone differs from identifying danger. The lawyer for Pieda agreed with PC Davies, stating that even with mirror checks, they couldn’t prove he could have avoided the crash.
Pieda checked under the dashboard, showing care. Police considered careless driving but dropped it. The post-mortem showed Conner had a head injury, and toxicology found nicotine and cannabis in Conner’s blood.
Cannabis might have impaired his riding, but the expert couldn’t determine when or how much. Therefore, they couldn’t ascertain the level of impairment.
Many people mourned Conner’s death. Friends called him caring and kind, saying he would be missed. The inquest concluded on Friday.