Cycling trip ends in A143 tragedy for Brockdish best friends

Edward Trudgill and Daniel Macdonald were both 39 when they died on the A143 at Billingford in August last year.

Inquests into their deaths, held at Norfolk Coroner's Court on Friday, heard how the tragedy happened at the end of a day-long bike ride which had seen them visit a number of pubs along the Norfolk-Suffolk border.

Dan Macdonald (Image: Macdonald family submit)

The friends, who lived just a few doors away from each other in the village of Brockdish, near Diss, had just left the Scole Inn Hotel - the first and last stop on their route - when Mr Trudgill fell from his e-bike into the Harleston-bound carriageway.

Mr Macdonald, a father-of-two, immediately pulled over then stepped into the road to try and alert any oncoming traffic.

However, his intervention was too late to prevent a red Mini Cooper driven by Darrell Self from crashing into both men.

Mr Macdonald was then sent into the path of a second car, a Jaguar X-Type driven by Carl Free.

Both cyclists died at the scene.

Edward Trudgill (Image: Trudgill family submit)

The incident happened at around 9.30pm on Sunday, August 27, by which time it was dark, with the road unlit.

A forensic crash investigation conducted by Daniel Smyth of Norfolk Constabulary was read to the court during both inquests.

In this report, he said: "There is no evidence Mr Self could have done anything to avoid the collision."

He added that both cyclists were more than twice the legal drink-drive limit at the time of the crash and that CCTV had shown Mr Trudgill to be unsteady on his feet while departing the Scole Inn.

Samantha Goward, area coroner for Norfolk, concluded that both men had died as a result of a road traffic collision.

She said: "It is clear they were on a dark road and riding without high visibility clothing.

"Dan was trying to protect his friend when he was struck by one car and sent flying into the path of another.

"I accept the police evidence that there was nothing either driver could have done to avoid them."

(Image: Bruno Brown)

Best friends from school

The court heard a statement from Steve Thompson, a friend of both men who joined them on the trip - which was an annual get-together arranged among the group.

He said the group had met at the Scole Inn at 11am before cycling a circuit route which included visiting a number of other pubs: the Old King's Head in Brockdish, the Swan in Fressingfield, the Ivy House in Stradbroke, De La Pole in Wingfield and the Swan in Hoxne.

They then returned to the Scole Inn, which they left at around 9.15pm.

However, Mr Thompson said the group had a "strict 30-minute rule" whereby they would only drink a single pint at each pub.

He said: "I first met Edd when he was five years old and used to see him almost every day. 

"I knew Dan through Edd and they were best friends from school.

"During the day they were the same old Edd and Dan and we had been doing cycling trips together for years."

Family tributes

Following the inquest, the families of both men issued tributes.

Mr Macdonald's family said: "A loving father, stepdad, partner, son, brother, uncle and, to so many, a friend, Dan, known to his family as Bert, loved life; he was funny, happy and incredibly in every way, just beautiful.

"Dan enriched his family's lives with nothing but love, kindness, fun and happiness. Our hearts are truly broken, life will never be the same."

Mr Trudgill's family said: "Taken away from us way too soon, a much-loved brother, father, husband and friend.

"He touched so many people and was just a lovely, kind and caring man."