A Coroner's inquest into the tragic death of a 50-year-old US visitor concluded she died because of inexperience riding a livery cycle.

Helen Synder, a former teacher of Fort Road, Penn., died of massive chest injuries last summer while riding across the Causeway.

Magistrate Archibald Warner noted no other vehicles were involved in the fatality.

He concluded the deceased lost control of her rented livery cycle while travelling eastbound. She sustained fatal chest injuries when her cycle collided with the nearside wall of the Causeway, resulting in almost instant death.

The court heard Mrs. Synder died as the ambulance rushed her to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

The coroner said neither the conditions of the road nor the the cycle were a factor in the death. He said the accident was caused by the inexperience of the deceased in riding livery cycles.

Earlier, investigating officer Sgt. Alexander McDonald told the inquest the Synder family arrived in Bermuda on June 15. They rented cycles from Grotto Bay Cycle Shop the next day.

The day of the accident, the Synders were going to meet a friend who was arriving by cruise ship.

Sgt. McDonald said shortly after 10.30 a.m. on June 18, he arrived at the scene of the accident. When he checked Mrs. Synder he felt vital signs and noticed the trauma to her chest; he said he could hear an ambulance close by so he put off administering first aid.

A statement of Stanley Synder, husband of the deceased, was read into the inquest. Mr. Synder told Sgt. McDonald that his wife was riding ahead of a line followed by their daughter Allison, son Ross and himself at the rear. Mr.

Synder said he thought his wife hit the wall, but he did not see when it happened. He said she was bleeding heavily when he attended her.

"I told her I love her, she opened her eyes then closed them,'' said Mr.

Synder.

Pathologist Dr. Donagh Murphy said the accident victim sustained multiple fracture of the ribs, multiple contusions of the right lung and death was due to the combination and severity of her injuries.

Expert evidence was given by Detective Constable Dave Greenidge on the re-construction of the accident scene. The officer said the road surface was dry and in good repair when he arrived at the scene an hour after the accident. He said he noticed the sea-wall was scraped on the northern side.

There was a shoe lodged in the rear wheel of the livery cycle riden by Mrs.

Synder.

The vehicle tyres were in good condition and had the correct amount of air in them. He continued by saying the vehicle appeared to be in good working order.

He said there were no marks to indicate the cycle had veered towards the wall, or to show what would cause the cycle to veer towards the wall in such a manner.

The position of the shoe between the frame and the rear wheel would not have caused such a deviation since the shoe was made of soft material, he added.

The officer concluded the shoe got lodged in that position only after the impact of the livery with the wall.