Inquest into Wirral teenager killed after his motorbike crashed into a taxi

Sep 17 2008 by Sue McCann, Birkenhead News

Philip Wilson

A 17-YEAR-OLD student was killed after the motorbike he was riding crashed into a taxi doing a U-turn, an inquest heard.

Philip Wilson, of Barnard Road, Oxton, died after he crashed on Townfield Lane, Oxton, and went head-first into a lamp-post. He suffered multiple injuries and died at Arrowe Park Hospital four hours later.

His girlfriend, Penny, was three months pregnant when he died. He had wanted to become a mechanic and was studying body repair at Wirral Metropolitan College.

The Crown Prosecution Service has since decided the taxi driver, Andrew Lang, will face charges of driving without due care and attention.

Mr Wilson had been travelling down Townfield Lane just before 10pm on Friday, May 2 when he tried to avoid the pale green taxi, but crashed into the front of the vehicle.

Crash investigators were unable to tell how fast he was travelling but judged that, even at speeds of 60mph, he would have been visible from where the taxi was for six seconds.

Mr Lang told police that he was parked before starting his manoeuvre, which he said he did only after he checked his mirrors, looked over his shoulder and indicated.

Mr Johnson recorded a narrative verdict.