Yahoo News Motorcyclist killed by pheasant that struck his helmet at 60mph
A pheasant killed a motorcyclist when the bird hit his helmet at 60mph, an inquest heard.
Robert Patterson, 51, suffered a fractured skull when the animal flew out of a hedgerow as he rode with friends on a country road in Wales.
An inquest heard a biker riding behind the father of four saw a "plume of feathers" before the crash.
A post-mortem examination revealed the force of the 6lb (2.7kg) female pheasant hitting Mr Patterson's helmet was enough to fracture his skull.
Pathologist Dr Mark Lord said: "It was a significant impact. It was instant death. Mr Patterson suffered multiple injuries including a blow to the head and facial injuries, as well as the skull fracture."
All I saw was a plume of feathers
biker David Roberts
Mr Patterson, a window cleaner, was on a motorbike trip with friends when the accident happened last November.
Andrew Edwards, a friend who was riding behind the victim, said: "Something appeared to hit him - he instantly collapsed on to the bike and veered off the road.
"We were speaking on intercoms. It went silent the instant he was hit. It looked like a bird of prey, but we believe it was a pheasant - it swooped down above head height. The instant it hit him, he went down a bank and into the fields and trees."
Another biker in the convoy, David Roberts, told the hearing: "All I saw was a plume of feathers."
The inquest, in Caernarfon, heard the pheasant smashed into Mr Patterson's visor, damaging the helmet.
Recording a conclusion of accidental death, North Wales Coroner Dewi Pritchard Jones said: "It must have been quite a shock to have this bird flying and hitting him in his face.
"The pheasant must have gone into the visor. My belief is that the impact caused the head to go back and fracture the base of the skull. The bike carried on through the undergrowth and further injuries were caused."
Mr Patterson, from Llandudno Junction, Gwynedd, leaves partner Lizzie Day and children aged aged from seven to 28.
His niece, Sonia Jones, said: "Rob always had a smile on his face - he was never down."
