Samaritan describes biker’s last moments

A 30-YEAR-OLD man died following a motorbike crash in Dannevirke yesterday.

The Honda CR250 was the only vehicle involved in the accident, which happened on Grant St near Dannevirke High School at about 12.45am, a police statement said.

Police said the man had not been wearing a helmet.

Grant St resident Gail Gibson was watching television when she heard a lot of revving from a motorbike outside her house at about 12.15am.

‘‘I heard a crash, then silence for a couple of seconds and then another crash, and then silence. I thought ‘that’s not a good sign’. I came out and I could hear some moaning.’’

She ran across the road to find the man face down on the footpath.

‘‘I used the light on my phone to check out any injuries and I could see a pool of blood, his nose was broken and a hole in his head.’’

When a neighbour appeared she yelled for them to call an ambulance.

She said the man was wearing a T-shirt so she took off her jacket and put it over him. She then lay on the ground next to him as they waited for the ambulance to arrive. ‘‘His breathing just got very laboured, the moaning stopped. I lay with him and just talked, I don’t know if he could hear anything. I just lay with him just to give him the comfort of knowing somebody was here.’’

The man was taken to Palmerston North Hospital in a serious condition. He has since died. The Serious Crash Unit is investigating.