A talented young motorcyclist from the Black Country was killed in a multiple-vehicle accident on a main road.

Matthew Geoffrey Foster was killed when the Honda motorcycle he was riding hit two cars on the A454 Bridgnorth Road at Swancote. His family said they ‘lost someone very, very special’ following an inquest.

The 23-year-old, of Sycamore Green in Dudley, had been out riding with friend Luke Taylor when the accident happened.

An inquest held at Wellington Civic and Leisure Centre heard that the pair had travelled from their homes in the West Midlands on their motorbikes on February 24, before stopping at a cafe in Quatt.

Speaking at the hearing, Mr Taylor said he was working nights at the time of the incident and the pair headed for home at about 8.30pm and it was dark due to the time of year. He told the inquest on Tuesday that he believed they had been driving at about 30 miles per hour.

Mr Taylor was riding his Suzuki motorcycle ahead of Mr Foster as they approached a left hand bend at Swancote. He said that Mr Foster then passed him on the opposite side of the road and struggled to cross back into the left hand lane.

He saw him hit the Toyota car, before going on to hit the Jaguar. Mr Taylor said:

“I jumped off my bike. I was frightened, scared. I panicked and jumped off.”

He described Mr Foster as a ‘talented’ rider and said he was going too fast for the particular bend.

A statement read out by Constable Sian Price from a road traffic collision investigator said they believed the accident may have been caused by excessive speed.

Shropshire coroner John Ellery ruled Mr Foster’s death was caused by a road traffic collision. In a statement released after the inquest, his parents Michael and Denise said: “Matthew was a typical lad who liked to have fun and enjoyed a joke or two. We all loved him dearly and feel like we lost someone very, very special that evening.”