Charity fundraiser died after he lost control of scooter on steep hill
A PROLIFIC charity campaigner suffered a fatal fall from his electric scooter in what is believed to be the second such death in the UK.
Barrie Howes was killed in a freak accident as he travelled home from work after heeding the Government’s call to avoid public transport in the early days of the pandemic.
The 57-year-old engineering instructor’s death is expected to raise questions about the ability of the e-scooters to navigate Britain’s roads at high speeds. In July, TV presenter Emily Hartridge, 35, was killed when her e- scooter collided with a lorry in London.
An inquest last week heard Mr Howes lost control as he travelled down Brompton Hill, a steep residential road in Chatham, Kent. He flew off and, despite wearing a helmet, was found by a passer-by suffering from traumatic brain injuries.
Mr Howes was airlifted to hospital in London where his condition deteriorated and he died nine days later on July 3.
Detective Sergeant Michael Champion, of Kent Police, said the scooter had a speed of 10 t o 30mph but ‘ on a st eep incline, it would have increased by going downhill. He would have been going at quite a speed when he lost control and crashed’, he added.
The inquest heard Mr Howes was unable to drive because of eye problems and was on medication that meant he was more likely to bleed in an accident. His wife of 32 years, Claire, said he had been catching the bus to work ‘but it was really when lockdown started that the Government said avoid public transport if you can and he decided to get the e-scooter.
‘I want to thank the bystanders [who helped], especially at the moment when people don’t want to get too close.’
Mr Howes underwent heart surgery in 2006 and met Princess Anne through his fundraising efforts for the British Heart Foundation. As he undertook a charity trek of Peru’s Machu Picchu, he said: ‘It’s an opportunity to make the most of the second chance in life I’ve been given.’
In a public tribute, friend Karen Wood described him as ‘an outstanding pillar of society’. Even in death, Mr Howes helped others and his wife told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Some good has come out of the bad. Three of his organs have helped people to live on, his liver and two kidneys have been transplanted.’
A verdict of accidental death was recorded.