A PENSIONER died from ‘severe burns’ when his car burst into flames following a collision with a motorcycle, an inquest was told.

Ronald Edwards, 83, of Wheatley Close, Fence, died after his gold Rover 25 was in collision with a Triumph Sprint motorcycle being driven by Alex Cunningham, near the junction with Carr Hall Road, on September 1 last year.

The inquest was told Mr Edwards drove his car on to the Barrowford bypass and was poised to make a right turn when the vehicle was struck by Mr Cunningham’s motorcycle, which was braking so hard that its rear end had lifted and was travelling on one wheel.

Some witnesses told the hearing they had seen the motorcycle travelling ‘very fast’.

But others reported seeing Mr Edwards ‘dithering’ before emerging from Carr Hall Road on to the bypass ’too slowy’.

They also told the inquest that the headlight on Mr Cunningham’s motorcycle had not been on and that Mr Edwards may not have seen him.

Police estimated that Mr Cunningham had been travelling between 42 and 48mph when he started to react to seeing Mr Edwards emerge in to the road, which has a speed limit of 50mph.

PC Adrian Harrison, of Lancashire Police, said he had calculated that Mr Cunningham’s motorcycle had been travelling between 35 and 42 mph at the point of impact. He said tyre marks on the road suggested he had tried to ride around Mr Edwards’ car as well as braking.

Mr Cunningham, who sustained life threatening injuries in the crash, was thrown 27 metres from his bike.

Watch manager Steve Green, of Lancashire Fire and Rescue, said the fire had most likely been caused by a fuel spillage from the motorcycle’s tank, which ruptured during the collision.

PC Harrison said it was likely that petrol had got inside Mr Edwards’ car through a smashed window and then been ignited.

East Lancashire coroner Richard Taylor, who returned a narrative verdict, told the inquest that Dr Charles Alexander, who carried out the post-mortem examination, reported the cause of death as severe burns and inhalation from products of combustion.

He said: “It was a devastating accident for all those involved."