‘Speed and driver inexperience’ were factors in the tragic death of a 17- year-old motorcyclist who lost control on a corner and hit a van, an inquest has heard.

Louis Robert Murray, of St Clements Park, Freystrop, died following a crash on the old Pembroke Dock Road between Burton and Haverfordwest at 6.45pm on July 21st.

The inquest was told Louis, a bricklaying student at Pembrokeshire College, had been playing cricket for Hook at an away game in St Florence that afternoon and was driving his red Yamaha motorbike back towards Haverfordwest in pleasant weather.

Louis was driving uphill around a left-hand bend in Burton when he lost control, causing his motorbike to cross the road and hit the front off-side of a Ford Transit van which was carrying two passengers.

Dyfed-Powys collision investigator PC Gary Rees told the inquest he could not calculate Louis’s speed at the time of the accident, but the speed limit for the area was 30mph and the absolute maximum speed to take the corner would be 40mph.

The inquest was told witnesses said Louis had been travelling at around 40 to 45mph and ‘was going too fast to be in control’.

PC Rees said: “It would appear that inappropriate speed and driver inexperience have played a factor in this tragic collision.”

Two of Louis’s team mates had been travelling behind in a car on their way back from the cricket match but lost sight of Louis just after the Jolly Sailor pub, shortly before the crash happened, the inquest was told.

Pembrokeshire Coroner Mark Layton recorded a verdict of accidental death.