Motorcyclist travelling at 'normal speed' when injured in head-on crash, trial hears
A collision investigator said a motorcyclist who suffered life-changing injuries in a head-on smash was travelling at a "normal speed", a court heard.
Pc Tim Viner, of West Mercia Police, was speaking about a crash that took place on the A41 Hinstock bypass, near Market Drayton, on September 9, 2018.
It involved Rauhan Aziz, who is on trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court accused of causing serious injury to biker Peter Welch by dangerous driving.
The case suffered a lengthy delay due to the loss of vital dash-cam footage, but was opened on Wednesday by prosecutor Timothy Ashmole.
On Friday, Pc Viner said that having analysed the retrieved witness dash-cam footage, he felt Mr Welch would have been travelling at an average speed of approximately 65mph.
It comes one day after the jury heard a prepared statement from 25-year-old Aziz, in which he said during a police interview on January 24, 2019, that he believed the bike to be "in excess of the speed limit" and his overtake manoeuvre otherwise safe.
In response to a question on the footage from defence barrister Marion Smullen, Pc Viner said: "Based on my experience on policing the roads for the last 17 years, you can see the difference between very high speed and normal speed."
He added: "Mr Aziz has gone for an overtake on an extremely long vehicle, a van towing a caravan, which was intending to turn right.
"He's then also got to get past the entire length of the vehicle while there's oncoming vehicles."
Mr Welch had been travelling on a motorbike along the road in the opposite direction and, while Aziz was overtaking the caravan, there was a head-on collision.
Mr Welch suffered life-changing injuries to his arms, back and legs.
The defendant, of Fox Hollies Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, denies the charge of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
The trial continues.
