Boy, 17, died after crashing his electric bike into telegraph pole in Flintshire

A teenager died after his electric bike came off of a cycle path and crashed into a telegraph pole in north Wales, an inquest has found.

Jamie Michael Jones, 17, was riding his motorised bike at 26mph when he crashed on December 12, 2021.

The teenager had bought the powerful electric bike just four days earlier.

His mother said her son's death has left "an unexplainable hole" in the family.

Jamie was riding his motorised bicycle on a cycle path by the B5441 in Sealand, Flintshire, when he crashed.

Before paramedics arrived, a bystander performed chest compressions on the 17-year-old, who showed few signs of external injuries apart from a grazed head.

An ambulance then arrived and despite the best efforts of paramedics he was pronounced dead at the Countess of Chester Hospital at 6.03pm.

At an inquest at Ruthin County Hall on March 29, a coroner ruled it as an accidental death. The medical cause of death was recorded as trauma to the abdomen and thorax.

Jamie's mother told the court that her son's death has left a "massive unexplainable hole" in the family.

Jane Clutton said her son was "well-mannered, well-known and well-respected" and he "had time for everyone."

Jamie was the youngest of three and his two sisters were also present at the inquest.

For an electric bicycle to be legal on UK roads its power must not exceed 250w and it must not be able to power the bike when it's travelling more than 15.5mph.

Jamie's bike had an 800w motor and was capable of reaching speeds over 70mph, the inquest heard.

The power of the e-bike, which did not have a serial number and could not be identified by examiners, meant that it should have been classified as a motorcycle and should not have been ridden without a licence, according to forensic collision investigator Gordon Saynor.

At the inquest, the braking system on the bike was described as "under-engineered for a bike of this performance."

An examiner found that the rear brake was also faulty and it was heard that Jamie was aware of this when he purchased the bike not long before the crash.

But there were "no marks on the tyres consistent with lock-up or loss of control", or any brake marks on the cycle path itself that could be conclusively attributed to Jamie's bike.

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