Legal News
Inquest told how teen died on holiday in quad bike accident (7 July 2015)
Date: 07/07/2015
An inquest has heard how a law student from London was killed on the Greek island of Zante last year, after she lost control of a quad bike.
Shannon O’Dwyer died on 20 August, 2104 – and had just turned 18 when she and two friends hired quad bikes on her first holiday abroad.
Ms O’Dwyer’s friend Summer Payne, 19, told the inquest at Croydon Coroner’s Court that Ms O’Dwyer “loved speed” and was the first to jump on her bike.
Her father Mark O’Dwyer said his daughter was “very outgoing”, “mischievous at times” and “very confident”.
The inquest heard that the holidaymakers had asked for safety helmets when they rented the quad bikes, but had not been given them.
The incident in which Ms O’Dwyer died occurred when she tried to stand on the seat of the quad bike – and the front of the bike tipped up into a “wheelie”.
Her friend Summer Payne was riding pillion with another fried, Jade Lloyd, 21, behind Ms O’Dwyer’s bike.
Ms Lloyd told the Coroner:
“It was within the space of ten seconds…from us having fun, to when I was screaming.
“There was nothing there… It all happened in seconds. And then it did seem like Shannon was standing on the bike – she was balancing on the seat.
“I wasn’t instantly worried, but then the wheels started lifting up. It was rocking and I could feel Summer tensing up behind me and she was shouting, and that’s when the panic hit.
“Then I saw a car coming the other way. It was just getting closer and closer and all of a sudden I saw the quad go like this. It happened so quickly, she just didn’t know what to do and that’s why I think it swerved.
“I think she looked at the car and she’s looked like she’s put more weight on the one side of the handlebars.
“Me and Jade got up behind her and started shouting, ‘Shannon, what are you doing?’
“Then the bike started swerving. As I turned she gave me full eye contact and she knew she was in trouble.”
Ms O’Dwyer was killed when the quad bike and the oncoming car collided, the inquest heard.
Paramedics tried to revive her at the scene of the crash, but she was pronounced dead in hospital.
Assistant Coroner Sonia Hayes recorded a verdict of death by road traffic collision and offered her sympathy to Ms O’Dwyer’s family.
After the verdict, Ms Payne called for safety helmets to be compulsory for quad bikes.
“I’m not saying Shannon wouldn’t have died,” she said. “But you never know what can happen.”
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