A motorcyclist died after riding an off-road dirt bike without working lights or brakes on a public road, an inquest heard this week. Virgil Morgan Bush fell from the bike and slid into oncoming traffic, according to evidence at the Coroner’s Court hearing.
The inquest jury ruled that his death was the result of misadventure, which means it was an accident.
The inquest heard that on the night of 5 Aug. 2019, Bush, 57, was test-riding his neighbour’s blue dirt bike along Watercourse Road, West Bay, as part of ongoing repairs.
“This motorcycle was an off-road bike so it had no tail-lights, headlights or even brakes, and should not have been on the road,” independent accident reconstructionist and former police officer Collin Redden told the court on Monday, 7 Nov.
According to Redden, Bush was travelling in his lane when he fell off the motorcycle and slid into the oncoming lane towards a car.
“He did not make contact with the car but the bike did,” said Redden.
The accident was promptly reported to the police and Bush was taken to the Cayman Islands Hospital where several tests were said to have been administered.
“I tended to Mr. Bush, and initially I observed that he had a ‘C’-shaped cut on the left side of his head,” said Dr. Brandon Bernard. “He told me he was having pain in his left hip, but was still able to walk.”
Bernard says he conducted a bedside ultrasound but found no signs of internal bleeding. An X-ray later revealed that he was suffering from a broken hip, prompting a request for a full body scan, during which his condition was said to have deteriorated.
“He suffered from several cardiac arrests and was resuscitated several times. However, in consultation with surgeons and other doctors it was decided that he would not be a likely candidate for surgery as it was unlikely he would survive.”
A pathology report later revealed that Bush had damaged his spleen and other organs in the accident, which led to significant internal bleeding.
“He lost 30% of his blood, but this was due to internal bleeding; in normal circumstances anything over 25% is certain death,” said pathologist Dr. Shravana Jyoti. “When we administer blood it is normally in the range of 5% and in this case he was given six units.”
Bush eventually succumbed to his injuries. Police say the driver of the vehicle was not charged.
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