Ex-boxer Vinny Mitchell lost control of powerful motorbike before deadly Dagenham crash, inquest hears
Vinny Mitchell, right, with his brother Kevin. Picture: Paul Bennett. - Credit: Archant
Popular ex-boxer Vinny Mitchell died of multiple traumatic injuries after he lost control of his new motorcycle, a coroner has ruled.
Vinny crashed on a sunny April 1 at around 5.30pm in New Road in Dagenham, near the junction with Ballards Road. He'd only bought the Yamaha R6 motorbike around three weeks before, his mother told the inquest on Monday, November 11.
Collision investigator Pc Charles Dunn said Vinny was travelling at an average of 53 miles per hour before he crashed - well above the 30mph speed limit on that part of the road. As that was an average, he was likely travelling faster at the moment of the crash, the officer added.
A friend was riding beside him at similar speeds. At least two witnesses heard loud motorbikes revving at traffic lights before the crash. Pc Dunn said it could be understood as "an incident of spontaneous competitiveness".
His helmet came off in the crash.
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No other vehicle was involved in the incident, the court found, and an Imperial College toxicologist found no evidence that Vinny was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
"I'm satisfied there are no suspicious circumstances around Vinny's death," senior coroner Nadia Persaud concluded. "There is no evidence of any third parties that were involved in the incident."
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She added neither the road nor the condition of the bike had anything to do with causing the accident. She refused to speculate on what caused Vinny to lose control.
Around a dozen family and friends were at the court to hear Ms Persaud's ruling.
"He was caring, loving and thoughtful," said Vinny's mother, Alice O'Connor, 60, in a statement heard by the court.
Vinny left behind four children - three daughters and a son.
"He loved them dearly," his mother added.
"He was a happy, friendly, always joking person."
She said his family and friends would miss him forever. After the hearing, she thanked the emergency services and bystanders for their work to save her son.
Vinny's father, Kevin Mitchell, who's also 60 and from Dagenham, thanked everyone for their concern and good wishes.
