Matthew Cooper: British tourist died in Bermuda while riding rental bike with faulty brake, inquest hears

A British man tragically died in Bermuda after a road traffic collision while riding a rental bike with a faulty front brake, an inquest has heard. Matthew Cooper, a 58-year-old wine buyer from Bow, East London, died in a hospital in Bermuda on October 29, 2021, due to traumatic brain injuries sustained in the collision 12 days earlier.

During the inquest at East London Coroner’s Court, police statements from Bermuda showed that the front brake of the rental bike "would have reduced the braking efficiency by about 90%." Graeme Irvine, the senior coroner for East London, said it was “disappointing” and an “omission” that Bermudan police had not delved deeper into Oleander Cycles, the rental company.

Witnesses said that Mr Cooper had turned to retrieve a hat that flew off his head just before the collision occurred. However, Mr Irvine concluded that the primary cause of death was the road traffic collision itself and not due to any fault of Oleander Cycles or Mr Cooper, "given the absence of evidence."

Three of Mr Cooper's family members, including his two children, joined the inquest via video link. The inquest revealed that Mr Cooper had rented a black mountain bike from Oleander Cycles on October 14, 2021, shortly after arriving in Bermuda as a visitor on October 12. On October 17, he was cycling in Smith’s Parish when the accident happened on a hilly road bend.

Gayle Ventures, the driver of the blue Suzuki involved in the collision, told Bermudan police that she estimated Mr Cooper was "riding very quickly, at least 25 miles per hour" before the incident. She recalled seeing his bike wobble as he searched for his hat, after which he collided with her car and landed on his back. There were no independent witnesses to the collision.

Weather conditions were clear on the day of the accident, and a black baseball cap was found near the scene. The car sustained "significant frontal damage," but no serious defects were found. However, the front V brake on Mr Cooper’s bike was deemed "faulty."

The inquest could not determine whether Mr Cooper was aware of the brake issue or if the hat had distracted him. Bermudan coroner’s officer Lyndon Raynor highlighted that the speed and road conditions were the primary factors in the collision.

Mr Cooper was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, but he may have been speeding. The Suzuki driver was not considered a contributing factor.A post-mortem revealed Mr. Cooper had suffered multiple brain hemorrhages, broken ribs, and internal bleeding.

Mr. Irvine mentioned that the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office had made several attempts to gather more information about the incident. He also criticised the lack of follow-up investigations by Bermudan police into Oleander Cycles.

He said: “Had this incident occurred in the UK, evidence and statements from Oleander Cycles would have been obtained due to issues with the bike’s front brake impeding its braking power.” He added that the Bermudan authorities' failure to seek information from Oleander Cycles was an “omission”.

Oleander Cycles has been approached for a comment.