Widow's tribute after Bentham motorcyclist dies in crash (From The Westmorland Gazette)
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Widow's tribute after Bentham motorcyclist dies in crash
1:10pm Thursday 14th October 2010 in High and Low Bentham news
By Emma Lidiard
LOTS OF FUN: David with Teresa
THE widow of a “careful” Bentham biker who lost his life after an evening ride with friends has paid tribute to the ’cheeky chap’ who was her childhood sweetheart.
David Hodgkinson, 38, of Springfield, High Bentham, had been out with his best friends on the B6479 Settle to Hawes Road – a route he knew well – last Friday.
Police said he failed to negotiate a bend near Studfold and struck a dry stone wall around 6pm. He had been riding a new multi-coloured Ducati motorcycle for the first time.
North Yorkshire Police are investigating whether there may have been a fault with the bike.
North Yorkshire police say that at the time of the incident he was riding in a group of six bikes.
He was taken to Airedale General Hospital by ambulance where he was pronounced dead.
The stretch of road was closed until 10.30pm for police investigations.
Mr Hodgkinson, an electronic engineer, had recently returned from the Republic of Dominica where he had been celebrating his 11th wedding anniversary with his wife Teresa.
She said: “I went straight to hospital when I heard about the collision, but it was too late by the time I arrived.
"His best friend tried to resuscitate him at the scene but his injuries were too much.
“He was an experienced biker who never took any risks.
"He loved his bike and he was always very sensible on it.
“He wasn’t a boy racer – he knew what he was doing.
“David was a very clever guy who was always there for me when I needed him.
“He was a cheeky chap – a lot of fun to be around.”
The couple, who met while studying at Settle College, had decided not to have children.
They enjoyed travelling the country and attending various rallies.
“He was a Benthamer through and through. He has lived here all his life.
"Everybody knew him as he would always help people. He was very technically minded.”
Mr Hodgkinson worked with his father, Dave, at Randall and Hodgkinson, based in Burrow, and lived opposite his mother, Denise, in Bentham.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or recalls seeing the group of motorcycles prior to the collision, is asked to contact Traffic Constable Mark Tiffany of North Yorkshire Police’s Roads Policing Group on 0845 60 60 24 7, quoting reference number 12100173831.
