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Shaun Balmer, aged 23, from Hartlepool, died after travelling on a quad bike on Raby Road on the afternoon of Tuesday, January 4, last year.

An inquest into the circumstances of his death heard he was travelling towards the junction with Marton Street at the time of the incident.

The inquest, on Wednesday (February 22) heard Mr Balmer, of Sydenham Road, mounted the curb and collided with some railings after taking “evasive action” to avoid a parked Audi Q7 that was starting to move off.

Shaun Balmer died following a collision in January of last year. Photo: Cleveland Police

A post-mortem examination confirmed the cause of death as head injury.

The quad bike had been travelling at a speed of approximately 48mph in a 30mph zone and Mr Balmer was not wearing protective gear or a helmet, the inquest heard.

The quad bike was black as was Mr Balmer’s clothing at the time of the incident.

Karin Welsh, Assistant Coroner for Teesside and Hartlepool, said: "Mr Balmer would have been extremely difficult to see.”

Teesside Coroner’s Court heard the Audi had been parked near a takeaway. CCTV footage and reconstruction work showed that the quad bike first appeared emerging from the edge of the road at around 3.16pm.

Moments earlier the Audi had started to move off after the driver had conducted mirror checks.

Evidence found no environment factors that contributed to the collision and there was no suggestion either party was on their mobile phones or under the influence of drugs, the inquest heard.

Miss Welsh said: “There was nothing that the driver of the Audi could or should have done that would have avoided the collision.”

In a statement released via police following Mr Balmer’s death last January, his family described him as “a dearly loved father, son, brother and boyfriend.”

It read: “Shaun was a dearly loved father, son, brother and boyfriend.

“We are in shock at his loss and our lives will never be the same without him.”

Miss Welsh concluded that Mr Balmer died as a result of a road traffic collision.

Quad bike rider, 23, died after suffering head injury in collision in Hartlepool, inquest concludes