AN EAST Huntspill man was killed after he tried to overtake a lorry and his car flew into the path of an oncoming van, an inquest heard.

Ian Barnard died when his Kawazaki 7x900 motorcycle collided with a Ford Transit van on Burnham Moor Road on April 26.

An inquest on Wednesday (December 19) heard the 56-year-old suffered multiple traumatic injuries when he collided with the Ford Transit van and was launched onto it's windscreen before falling onto the road.

Mr Barnard, a heavy goods vehicle driver who was born in Berrow, was pronounced dead the scene despite attempts from witnesses and paramedics to resuscitate him.

The inquest heard a statement from Christopher Young, the driver of the Ford Transit van, who said he was driving home along Burnham Moor Road at around 35mph when he saw a heavy goods lorry on the other side of the road.

"I saw the lorry on the other side of the road but I couldn't see if anything behind it," ," Mr Young said.

"Not long after I saw it a motorbike pulled out from behind the lorry and into my path, I didn't see it, it all happened so fast

"I turned to the left and braked hard to avoid the collision but I am not sure that I managed to."

Mr Young said Mr Barnard hit the near front end of the van, came onto his windscreen and fell down onto the road as his van landed on its left side in a ditch on the left hand side of the road.

The Ford Transit driver said he then got out the van and called an ambulance for help.

Senior coroner, Tony Williams, read a statement from collision investigator PC Simon Wilson from Gloucestershire Police, who said Mr Young's van was travelling below the 60mph speed limit at the time of the incident but the speed at which Mr Barnard was travelling could not be determined.

PC Wilson said Mr Young attempted to brake and swerve before the two vehicles collided but there was no evidence Mr Barnard applied his brakes before the crash.

He said a number of witnesses, whose statements were also read at the inquest, had seen Mr Barnard speed past a number vehicles along the road before the incident.

PC Wilson said: "There is no evidence to suggest the Ford Transit van was being driven in an abnormal manner.

"The collision occurred because Mr Barnard was trying to overtake a large goods vehicle when it was not safe to do so.

The inquest then heard a statement from Jeffery French, a vehicle examiner for Avon and Somerset Police, who said there were no faults with Mr Barnard's bike or Mr Young's Ford Transit van at the time of the incident.

A toxicology report revealed Mr Barnard had no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of the incident and a post mortem report concluded the 56-year-old died as a result of multiple traumatic injuries.

When concluding the inquest Mr Williams said: "A motorcycle being driven by Ian Barnard was in collision with an oncoming vehicle when in an attempt to overtake a large heavy goods vehicle crossed the central lines of the carriageway into the path of the oncoming vehicle."