Wearing an unsafe helmet and riding under the influence of alcohol and drugs led to the death of 41-year-old Lewis Hilgrove O'Brian Bean.

On March 12, Bean of North Shore Road Hamilton Parish was travelling along Fractious Street in Hamilton Parish, heading towards Wilkinson Avenue, when he lost control of his purple RC 100 motorcycle while negotiating a bend.

Coroner the Wor. Cheryl-Ann Mapp yesterday ruled that the cause of Bean's death was accidental.

Just after 5 p.m. Bean skidded against a wall and went head first into the trunk of a cedar tree.

Bean sustained a fractured skull which was shattered on one side, fractured ribs and several abrasions about his body which was consistent with being in a road traffic accident.

In a written statement, Bean's girlfriend Patricia Parsons said that on Saturday March 12 she got out of bed and saw Bean outside washing clothes.

"He asked me to finish washing them because he was going to the Mid Ocean Golf Club,'' Parsons said.

She added: "He got on his bike and left and that was the last time I saw him alive.

"Just after 5 p.m. a Police officer came to the house and told me that Lewis had been involved in an accident. The officer took me to the hospital where I identified the body.'' Later Parsons told Police that the night before the accident Bean was in his room with some friends drinking beers and smoking cocaine.

"I did not see him drinking or smoking but I know the smell and the next day when I took out the trash I saw the bottles,'' Parsons said.

Helen E. Hall arrived on the scene after the accident and saw Bean laying in the road. She stated that at first she thought he was just drunk and sleeping in the road.

"When I got out of the car and walked up to him I saw the gash on his leg and I asked him how he was,'' Hall said. She added: "I did not get a response and his nose and mouth were completely full of blood. I checked for a pulse but there was nothing.'' King Edward VII Memorial Hospital consultant pathologist Dr. John Winwick read a statement made by Dr. Alan Young who said Bean had 190 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood which would be equivalent to nine cans of beer. He also stated that a urine test showed that Bean had also been using cocaine.

Dr. Young added that Bean had been lying in the road for 10-15 minutes before attempts were made to resuscitate him.

Dr. Winwick said Bean had multiple abrasions, a large laceration on his leg, bruising over the left temple area, head fractures, serious chest and spinal injury and both lungs were heavily congested with blood.

He also said that Bean did not have a properly fitting helmet on his head at the time of the accident.

"The lining in the helmet had been removed. It is there to add protection to the head and without it the helmet has lost its protective function,'' Dr.

Winwick said.

He also added: "There was no doubt that with those levels of alcohol and drugs his driving was impaired.'' Investigating officer in the case P.c. Patrick Wade said Bean was travelling at a high speed at the time of the accident.

"He was travelling too fast around the corner to continue out along the straight part of the road which caused him to go into the side of the wall,'' Pc. Wade said.

He added: "The alcohol and cocaine greatly reduced his ability to drive.

"And the protective lining that was missing from Bean's helmet attributed to his severe head injury.'' P.c. Wade also stressed the importance of not driving under the influence and not altering helmets which would increase the probability of injury.

P.c. Ferdanine Thorne said Bean's bike scrapped against a wall and hit a tree before slamming into a utility pole and sliding down the road.

Mrs. Mapp concluded that the contributing factors of the accident are "two-fold''.

"First there was the ingestion of alcohol and narcotics which was twice the legal limit and secondly the condition of the helmet which led to serious head injury,'' Mrs. Mapp said.

She added: "Until we can educate people on the concept of driving with safety we will continue to loose our loved ones in road traffic accidents.''