Police officer died in crash on his first day back

A "well-liked" police officer died when he crashed his motorcycle on his first day back at work, a coroner said.

PC Mathew Parker was responding to an emergency in November, on the A12 near Chelmsford, when he crashed into a central barrier and died of a traumatic head injury.

The 43-year-old from Loughton had been off sick from Essex Police since 15 October, and only returned to work that day.

However, area coroner Michelle Brown was satisfied his long-term absence had "no significance" on the collision and that procedures were followed to ensure he was fit to return to work.

Parker was based with the Chigwell Roads Policing Unit and had worked in west Essex for 25 years.

Parker had reached speeds of 96mph (154km/h) and was overtaking a vehicle, travelling southbound between Margaretting and Ingatestone, when he "simply lost control", according to a witness.

Bodycam footage showed the moment Parker's "bike starts to wobble and fishtail", Brown said.

The coroner pointed out that he could legally exceed the 70mph (113km/h) speed limit because of the emergency.

PC Jason Howard, who conducted a report after the crash, "found the road to be damp" and "greasy", but felt the tarmac was in reasonable repair.

Brown said there was no criminal investigation over whether anyone else was at fault.

"I know a lot of his colleagues at Essex Police were extremely traumatised," she said, concluding the inquest at Essex Coroner's Court.

"It appears he was a very well-liked colleague."

In a statement released a week after his death, his family described him as "a man of strong values and a generous heart".

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