Deaths of motocross teens tragic - coroner

No words could adequately express the awfulness of a crash that killed two teenage cousins, coroner Trevor Savage has said.

"It is very tragic that two decent young men have had their lives cut short, especially when they were practising the sport they both showed so much promise in," Mr Savage said yesterday as he offered the boys' family his sympathy.

Cousins Richard Aaron Dale, 19, and Cameron Ian McClintock, 15, were killed on March 17 when their motocross bikes collided in mid-air on the Dale family farm, near Mandeville.

It was an emotion-charged inquest, as family and friends attended what Mr Savage hoped would be final closure for them.

Matthew Horton, one of three friends with Richard and Cameron, tried to recount the events leading up to the accident but had to stop as he fought back tears.

He accepted an invitation from Mr Savage to have his statement read to the court.

In his statement, Mr Horton said the three of them had been riding around the paddock for a while when he stopped on the top of a hill because it was getting windy.

Richard and Cameron joined him. After a couple of minutes, Richard headed down the other side, then over another brow out of view. Cameron followed about a minute later, heading in the same direction.

Less than a minute later the bikes collided in mid-air as Richard jumped back up the way he had gone, he said.

He saw Richard go over the handle bars and rushed over. Neither rider was moving.

Constable Bruce Glass said when he arrived ambulance services were doing CPR. He was told both boys were "not looking good" and the rescue helicopter had been called.

However, Cameron and Richard died at the scene.

Former Gore Motorcycle Club president Jamie Chittock said a motocross was scheduled to have been held the following weekend but was cancelled. The official track for the motocross was not marked out on the day of the accident, he said.

Mr Savage, acknowledging nothing could bring the two boys back, asked if anything could be done differently in future to avoid similar accidents.

Mr Chittock said it was impossible to say -- "it's (the accident site) not really a track, they were just having a play around".

Mr Savage said the teenagers' motocross bikes and gear were in good order and there was no criticism of them for not wearing chest protectors.

He found Richard died from a laceration to his aorta and massive chest cavity haemorrhaging as a result of the collision. Cameron died from multiple chest and abdomen injuries.