A young army Corporal died after coming off his motorbike and striking a road sign, an inquest heard.
Danny Crowder, 24, died as a result of multiple internal injuries after his Suzuki GSXR collided with a Vauxhall Vivaro in Upper Langwith.
The crash happened at around 5.30pm on 24 July last year while Danny, who served in the Queen’s Royal Lancers, was out riding with his best friend Peter Moody.
Chesterfield Coroner’s Court heard how Mr Crowder, who lived in Creswell for 20 years before moving to Worksop, was following his friend down the A632 towards Shirebrook when they came up behind a Peugoet 307 and a Vauxhall Vivaro, driven by Steven Burr, as they approached the junction of Rectory Road.
Mr Moody, who told the inquest that Mr Crowder had persuaded him to take their bikes out early that day before meeting other bikers at Scarcliffe, successfully overtook both vehicles and accelerated up the hill before the junction.
But as Mr Crowder attempted to pass the vehicles, he collided with the side of the Vivaro as it slowed down in preparation to turn right.
After glancing the van driver’s door he was thrown from his bike into a traffic sign, which bent over following the impact, before coming to rest in the grass verge - 30 metres away from the initial impact point.
Several witnesses, including Mr Burr stopped at the scene and called paramedics.
One witness, Nicola Simpkin, who was driving the 307, told the inquest that Mr Crowder was “quite talkative” and that he “wanted to get up”.
But despite not appearing to suffer many external injuries at the scene, he had suffered multiple internal injuries to his skull, spine, heart, lungs and liver. He died later that day at North Staffordshire Hospital, Stoke.
PC Paul Barker from Derbyshire Accident Investigation Unit said that while there was a “significant difference” between the speed two vehicles when the impact occurred, there was nothing to suggest the motorcyclist was travelling too fast.
He added that the Mr Crowder’s impact with the van had been a glancing blow, and that he had suffered the injuries that proved to be fatal as a result of striking the road sign.
North Derbyshire Deputy Coroner Nigel Anderson recorded a narrative verdict, adding: “I’m satisfied Danny Crowder went to carry out an overtaking manoeuvre. It must be beyond doubt that he wasn’t aware the van was turning right, and that it was his collision with the road traffic sign which proved to be fatal.”