A POSTAL worker died of multiple injuries after he tried to overtake a Waitrose delivery van on the A358, an inquest heard.

Jonathan Stone, 28, of Farriers Green, Taunton, was driving along the A358 from Williton towards Taunton at 4.30pm on July 9, 2019 when he collided with a Mercedes Sprinter van at the junction with Croft Meadow towards Sampford Brett.

The inquest heard Mr Stone was driving his Honda Hornet 600c motorbike in the same direction as the Waitrose delivery van when he hit the cab on the driver's side, came off his motorbike and came to rest in a bus shelter on the left hand side of the road.

His motorbike 'cartwheeled' before being found on a grass verge.

Mr Stone was airlifted to Southmead Hospital in Bristol following the incident but died the next day.

At an inquest on Thursday (January 2) senior coroner Tony Williams read a statement from Ashley Stockton, the delivery van driver, who said he did not see the motorcyclist before he turned into the junction but heard "a loud engine sound, followed by a loud bang" as Mr Stone hit his vehicle.

"As I approached the junction I put my right indicator on," Mr Stockton said.

"There was a car behind me. I checked my mirror on the driver's side, I slowed down to around 10-15mph.

"There was nothing coming in the opposite direction and I did not see the motorcyclist in my mirror.

"As I crossed over the hatched markings I could then see the motorcyclist overtaking me.

"I heard a loud engine sound followed by a loud bang. The motorcyclist had driven straight into my van and bounced off."

The coroner also read statements from a number of witnesses who said Mr Stone was travelling at 'high speed' along the A358 before the crash.

Wendy Ware, who was driving behind the Waitrose van, said: "As the van started to turn right I heard a loud engine sound and was overtaken by a motorbike that was going very fast.

"It collided with the side of the van and disappeared from view.

"The motorbike showed no signs of taking any evasive action."

Cyril Prescott said he saw the motorbike being drived at high speed down the A358 and saw it overtake vehicles.

"The bike was well in excess of the speed limit," Mr Prescott said.

"The bike was going at an excessive speed but it was in control. I said to my wife that I thought it was dangerous to go that fast."

The inquest also heard a statement from Jeffery French, vehicle examiner at Avon and Somerset Police, who said there were no faults with either of the vehicles at the time of the crash.

A post mortem examination concluded that Mr Stone died of multiple injuries.

Daniel Tatham, a forensic collision investigator for Avon and Somerset Police, said in a written report read at the inquest, that visibility was clear and road conditions were dry on the day of the incident. He said Mr Stone had held a driving license for his bike for two months at the time of the crash and had ventured out on a leisure ride in an area which was 'familiar' to him.

Mr Tatham said it is unclear why Mr Stone decided to overtake the Waitrose van at the junction.

When concluding the inquest, Mr Williams said: "At 4.30pm on July 9, 2019 on the A358 a motorbike belonging to Jonathan Stone crossed into the oncoming carriageway and collided with a Waitrose delivery van.

"Mr Stone sustained injuries which proved to be fatal."