A talented musician was killed when he was struck by a speeding motorcyclist, who was almost five times the drink-drive limit, an inquest has heard. The heartbroken family of much-loved Neil Wallace, 43, says 'nothing can fill the void' he left behind after he died in the collision.
Neil, who was a pedestrian, died after being hit by a 600cc Kawasaki motorbike, rode by Steve Powdrill, on July 8 last year. Mr Powdrill, who was banned from driving at the time, also died at the scene.
An inquest was told that Mr Powdrill have been riding down Beverley Road, in Hull, at speeds of around 60mph - despite there being a 40mph speed limit in place. He collided with Neil as he crossed the road close to Evergreen Drive.
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Following the inquest, Neil's family told Hull Live that he had been celebrating a new job on the day that he died. His sister Michelle said: “We are still heartbroken. As a family we now have a big void that cannot be filled.
"Life goes on but we will never heal. I just miss everything about Neil, about him being a brother and an uncle to my boy and girl.”
Dad David says that time will eventually make it easier but Neil’s loss will always be felt by his family and friends. He said: “Over time you begin to accept it but that sense of loss is there all the time and that will never go away. I think about him every day.
“It has been difficult for us at Christmas and his birthday which feel very empty but we just have to try and cope as best we can." Michelle added: “I just hope this tragedy highlights the dangers of speeding and drink-driving. This incident has devastated two families.”
The inquest heard that Neil was a joiner by trade and he had always been very creative. He was known to his friends in the music scene as Surreal Irony and Safe House LTE.
He produced music and did collaborations in his rap/hip hop style. Michelle said he was an excellent writer and that music was his passion in life.
Neil was saving money to move to live with his fiancé Erinn in Hawaii later that year. The pair had been together for around 10 years with Erinn visiting Neil in the UK on a number of occasions.
In a statement, dad David said: “Neil had a big interest in music and he even got one of his songs played on an American radio station. His fiancée Erinn is from the US and she came to Hull to see Neil and they kept in touch daily.
“He never married or had children but he was a happy man who had lots of friends. He never liked driving though and always walked or rode his bike.”
Mr Wallace also said that on the night Neil died he had been to his mum’s off Beverley Road for tea. He had been celebrating getting a new job that day after a difficult period during the pandemic.
The inquest heard how the pathologist determined Neil died of extensive external and internal injuries as a result of a road traffic incident. Toxicology results found Neil had been drinking that day but not excessively.
A fire engine was returning from a job on Driffield when crew members witnessed the crash. The crew turned around and rushed to help the two victims.
They began CPR on both men but Neil showed no signs of life. Mr Powdrill did have a faint pulse but both men died at the scene.
Two cars were also travelling north along Beverley Road when they noticed Neil beginning to cross ahead before the motorcycle sped past. In a statement, one witness said: “The motorcycle passed me at speed and undertook the car in front by swerving round. I suddenly just saw two people in the air.
"I stopped and got out to help but a fire engine was quickly on the scene. My wife was having a panic attack so I helped her calm down. In my opinion, the motorcycle was going too fast.”
Witnesses in another car told a similar story and said Neil seemed to have plenty of time to cross. One witness said: “I saw the pedestrian crossing ahead and then the bike sped past us well above the speed limit. I saw the motorbike hit the pedestrian and they both went up in the air. The bike slid across the ground in a trail of sparks. The whole thing lasted seconds. The pedestrian seemed to have plenty of time and looked in our direction but the motorcycle was travelling too fast.”
Another witness estimated the biker was travelling above 60mph saying: “The motorbike overtook the car behind and then undertook me and I estimated he was going at 60mph. The bike then rode directly into the pedestrian. I don’t think they saw each other at all.
“I saw the bike fly into the air. I was very shocked and upset by what I had seen. If the motorbike hadn’t been going so fast the pedestrian would have had time to cross safely.”
Collision investigator Peter Gallagher studied the scene of the accident to determine the possible cause of the fatal incident. He said there was nothing stopping pedestrian crossings at that spot and the nearest crossing was 200 metres away outside the Tesco in Hall Road.
He revealed the 600cc Kawasaki bike was in poor condition but not dangerous and the conditions at the time were fine with the road well lit. However, he revealed Mr Powdrill’s speedometer had frozen at 65-70mph.
He said he could not rely on this as an accurate recording of his speed at the time of the collision but says he undertook other calculations and said he was going at least 52mph but the real speed was probably “substantially higher”.
A toxicology report also found Mr Powdrill was almost five times over the drink-drive limit at the time. It was also confirmed by police that he was disqualified from driving at the time and had no insurance.
Mr Gallagher said: “We know that Mr Wallace had all but completed his crossing and was near to the kerb when he was struck. If the bike had been travelling within the speed limit he would have remained behind the two other cars and Mr Wallace would have crossed successfully. He would not have anticipated the speed or manoeuvres the bike carried out.”
Area Coroner Lorraine Harris concluded Neil’s death was the result of a road traffic incident. She came to the same conclusion for Mr Powdrill’s death after his inquest was held on Monday.
She told the family: “We have heard that Neil was a talented, happy man and it is evident to me by the presence of his family that Neil was a much-loved son, brother nephew, uncle and fiancé.
“On the day he died he was celebrating such lovely news with his family about getting a new job. You have such cherished memories and I hope it is those that come to the fore. It should be about the years of love and laughter rather than those final few seconds of his life.”
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