Wayne Hodgson and Bobby Grimes killed in Aycliffe crash had no helmets

Bobby John Grimes, 13, and Wayne Arthur Hodgson, 18, died when they were hit by a car after swerving into oncoming traffic shortly after noon on Friday, July 5 near Rushyford, County Durham.

Wayne was driving the scooter with his younger friend Bobby, a schoolboy from Newton Aycliffe, riding pillion on the back when they clipped the side of a car and went into the path of an oncoming Audi.

Neither were wearing a helmet at the time and Wayne was disqualified from driving, an inquest at Crook Coroners’ Court on Friday (October 25) heard.

Floral tributes at the scene of the crash on Middridge Road. (Image: Michael Robinson) The court was told the 18-year-old, from Spennymoor, was intoxicated on pregabalin, used to treat epilepsy but also taken by recreational drug users, in such a high amount a toxicologist said could itself have been lethal in the levels it was found.

The pair had been riding around Spennymoor and Chilton and were heading towards Newton Aycliffe when they turned onto Middridge Road shortly before 11.55am. A queue of traffic was forming behind a car waiting to turn into Rookery Gardens when the scooter clipped the back drivers’ side of a silver Vauxhall Insignia in that queue and swerved into the oncoming traffic.

Wayne, Bobby, and the moped all went under the Audi A4 coming towards them.

Bobby Grimes. (Image: Durham Constabulary) Paramedics including the air ambulance attended but Wayne was pronounced dead at the scene. Bobby suffered an “unsurvivable” brain injury, the inquest was told, and he died at 9.19pm that evening at the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle.

Post-mortem examinations concluded Wayne died of multiple traumatic injuries and Bobby died of a brain injury.

The inquest heard the pair were wearing face coverings and had both been looking behind them on the moped as if they were being followed, but DS Michael Hogg told the court there was no evidence found of this.

Senior Coroner Jeremy Chipperfield said that because of this the pair did not see traffic in front of them slow down “until it was too late” and that they tried to take action to avoid the Vauxhall but it was “impossible for them to stop”.

The funeral of Wayne Hodgson at Wear Valley Crematorium in Coundon. (Image: STUART BOULTON)

He added: “Perhaps because he (Wayne) knew or was concerns about being apprehended, I don’t know, or perhaps because he was intoxicated, I don’t know, but he and Bobby appeared to be very interested on the road behind them.”

In a statement, Corey Lee whose Audi hit the boys told the court: “Prior to the collision I did not see the bike and there was nothing I could do to stop.

Wayne Hodgson. (Image: Durham Constabulary)

“I just felt something hit my car.

“I have immediately applied my brakes. I have then got out of my car while calling the police and seen a male under the front wheel.

“I have then seen another male under the back wheels of my vehicle.”

Mr Lee was not found to be responsible, police said previously.

Mr Chipperfield said: “The driver of the motorcycle, Wayne, was disqualified from driving but, importantly, at the time he was very significantly intoxicated. Forensic toxicology says that the concentration of pregabalin was so great that alone it is potentially lethal.”

Huge crowds gathered for the funeral of Bobby Grimes. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) He concluded a joint inquest into their deaths saying Wayne died of misadventure, and ruled Bobby’s death to have been an accident.

Speaking directly to 13 members of the boys’ families in court the Coroner said: “I cannot imagine how hard it has been to hear this evidence. Thank you for hearing it with the composure that you have and thank you for coming.”

An inquest was held at Crook Coroners' Court. (Image: Northern Echo) Paying tribute to Wayne after his death in July his family said: “Wayne, you have left a massive hole in our hearts and lives.

“You are going to be missed for forever and a day. We love you always, our baby Wayne”.

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Meanwhile, Bobby’s family said of their “cheeky” son: “Bobby was a greatly-loved son, brother, nephew, cousin, grandson.

“He was a cheeky boy who loved to say ‘wise man’. He will never be forgotten and missed forever.”

Huge numbers gathered for each of the boys’ funerals earlier this year and floral tributes were left at the scene following the crash.