'He was our life' - Parents pay tribute to Sheffield dad-of-four who died in horror motorbike crash

Adam Simpson, aged 28, died on Fox Hill Road in Sheffield on October 3, 2017 after the motorbike he was riding collided with a tipper truck.

An inquest into Adam’s death today at Sheffield Coroners Court found he died as a result of an accident.

Speaking after the inquest concluded, Adam’s mum Lisa and dad Chris paid tribute to their son’s selflessness and his ‘larger than life’ personality.

“He was such a big part of our lives and he was a fantastic dad,” they said.

“He was loving and kind but he could be a really big pain when he wanted to be as well.

“He was loud and boisterous but always selfless and cheerful. He gave a lot of love and got a lot of love back.

“He always told us he loved us regardless of whose company we were in and he might not have had a really good job or lots of money but you couldn’t help but be proud of him.”

The inquest heard evidence from the police collision investigators called to the scene in the aftermath of the crash, which happened at Fox Hill Road’s junction with Fox Hill Crescent in Birley Carr, as well as eyewitnesses.

PC Taylor of West Yorkshire Police’s Collision Investigation Unit said in his professional opinion, three factors had contributed to Adam’s death.

These were the speed he was driving, the presence of alcohol and other drugs in his system and the fact the lorry had crossed onto the other side of Fox Hill Road to make a sharp turn into a side street.

Investigators found Adam was travelling at around 53 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour limit, and had a blood alcohol reading of 186mg/dL, more than twice the amount permitted for driving.

PC Taylor said: “Riding a bike is a lot more difficult than driving a car. Cornering is more difficult, it is a lot about balance and you can’t get away with the same things you can in a car. Mixing alcohol and drugs in with that is a big risk.”

The investigation also found the DAF tipper truck driven by Graham Bywater had crossed the road’s central white hazard lines by around 1.2 or 1.3 metres, leaving Adam around two metres of space to drive in.

Assistant coroner Abigail Combes agreed with investigators that this had been a relevant factor in the accident, but said the speed Adam was driving and his intoxication were more significant.

In concluding Adam died as a result of an accident, Ms Combes offered her sincere condolences to Adam’s parents as well as his partner Laura, brother Ryan and sister Billy-Jo, who also attended the hearing.