AN INQUEST has resumed into the death of a keen motorcyclist who died in a horrific collision near Wrexham.

Taxi and minibus driver Nathan Lee Jones, 48, died of injuries sustained when his machine collided with a Fiat 500 at the junction of the A525 with the A483 near Wrexham on May 4, 2018.

Mr Jones, of Talwrn Road, Rhostyllen, was certified as dead at the scene after failed attempts to resuscitate him.

An inquest in Ruthin heard how Mr Jones, riding a blue Suzuki motorbike, was travelling along the A525 towards Wrexham from the Coedpoeth direction shortly after 4pm.

He passed through traffic lights on the junction of the A525 and the A483 when he collided with the Fiat-500 which was turning right on to the A483 northbound from the opposite direction.

A subsequent post mortem examination found no alcohol or drugs in Mr Jones' system. He had died as a result of injuries sustained in the collision.

In a statement read out by Assistant Coroner for North Wales, Joanne Lees, Police Constable Gavin Whitley, of the Roads Policing Unit said: "I was on duty on May 4 when a report came in about a road traffic collision on Junction 4 of the A483.

"Upon arrival at the scene, I saw a motorbike which had sustained heavy impact damage.

"I could see a man laid down on the ground who was being attended to by doctors and a nurse."

Dr Graham Mayers, consultant in Intensive Care and Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, was one of the first responders as part of the Wales Air Ambulance team.

A statement read on behalf of him by the coroner said Mr Jones was in traumatic cardiac arrest upon Dr Mayers' arrival at the scene.

Attempts were made to resuscitate Mr Jones with a view of airlifting him to a major trauma centre. But, after all efforts to save him, there were "no signs of life" and he was pronounced dead at 5.15pm.

The inquest heard from several witnesses who described traffic being busy and proceeding in a "stop start" manner or slow moving before the incident.

Some described hearing a loud thud and seeing Mr Jones launched into the air by the impact.

Nathan's mother Irene Jones told the inquest how her son was the youngest of her three sons. The family had moved to Summerhill when he was three-years-old. He went on to attend St Mary's Primary School and St Joseph's High School in Wrexham

She said that the family had an extension on their house that became an unofficial youth club for their friends, and many had fond memories of that time when they spoke at Nathan's funeral.

He had a passion for motorcycles and cars that he shared with his father and grandfather and he would spend hours in the garage with them as a child.

The family's statement read by the coroner said: "Nathan was a loveable, likeable, and happy person.

"He would help anyone out. It would just take a phone call and he would be there."

It added: "He had loads of friends and was an exceptional father to his daughter."

They said that they were a old-style family who spoke to each other every couple of days if not every day. They held family sports days and celebrated Christmas together on Boxing Day as Nathan would always be working on Christmas said. They said a gap had been left in the family by the loss of a little brother, father, uncle and son.

The inquest will resume on Monday.