THE reason an experienced motorcyclist fatally lost control of his bike, colliding with a roundabout, is unknown, an inquest heard last week.

Anthony Raymond Pullen, of Foxhill, Old Welsh Road, Stepaside, died on April 15 after being thrown from his motorcycle when it collided with a roundabout on the A477 road at Kilgetty.

Acting Coroner’s Officer for Dyfed-Powys Police Maggie Julien told the October 24 inquest Surry-born Mr Pullen had a variety of jobs during his working life, including a teacher and a social worker.

Father-of-three Mr Pullen was a fit and healthy man, a keen runner who had completed in the London Marathon, and was also a keen motorcyclist, with a collection of six bikes.

He had served as a motorcycle instructor, and was also a member of the Carmarthen and District Motorcycle Club.

Mr Pullen, aged 68, had earlier told his sister he had come off his motorcycle after ‘locking up’ while approaching a junction, the inquest heard.

It was not known if this was the same motorcycle as the one involved in the crash.

Mrs Julien said that, shortly after midday on April 15, Mr Pullen was riding his Honda XL650V Transalp motorcycle on the A477 westwards towards Pembroke Dock, approaching the Kilgetty roundabout.

The weather was dry, with strong gusty winds, the inquest heard.

Witnesses said Mr Pullen appeared to have lost control, fighting with the handlebars before being thrown from the bike, hitting a road sign on the roundabout’s central island.

Members of the public present, including a nurse, gave first-aid while awaiting paramedics and the Wales Air Ambulance.

Mr Pullen was formally declared to have passed away at 12.50pm that day.

A post-mortem report by Dr Jon Murphy stated that Mr Pullen 138 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres in blood, the legal limit being 80, a figure less than twice the legal limit.

The cause of Mr Pullen’s death was given as a skull fracture following the crash.

Collisions investigator PC Aled Thomas said the road surface was in good condition and there was no evidence of any faults with the motorcycle.

Heavy braking marks in a straight line on the approach to the roundabout were recorded, but there was no evidence to suggest Mr Pullen had lost control prior to this.

PC Thomas said there were four possible scenarios: impairment through alcohol consumption, distraction or inattention, the strong winds present on the day, or a combination of factors.

Reaching a conclusion of a death by road traffic collision, HM Coroner for Pembrokeshire Mark Layton said: “For reasons not established from the evidence, possibly as a result of alcohol, weather, or distraction, or a combination; Mr Pullen lost control of his motorcycle at the roundabout, which he failed to negotiate, and sadly lost his life.”