A teenager who was twice the drink-drive limit and had cannabis and cocaine in his system died after the motorcycle he was riding at 76mph crashed, an inquest heard.
Domantas Baksaitis, 17, died following the collision on Great Yarmouth’s seafront in the early hours of March 2 this year.
The teen, who was pronounced dead at the scene, collided with a lamppost in a 30mph residential area on North Drive at around 3am.
The inquest, held on December 17 by the assistant coroner for Norfolk, Simon Milburn, took place at County Hall.
Mr Baksaitis’ mother, Jolita Medeliene, was present and said she had been left feeling “empty” following her son’s death.
In a statement read out to the court, she added: “You can only imagine how it affects a mother to lose her son.
“To see his friends fit and healthy, it makes me want him back even more.
“His death had affected our whole family [significantly his siblings] and we will never be the same again. It’s left a big hole in our lives which will never be replaced.
“My head is empty. I really do not know what else to say.”
Mr Baksaitis, of Britannia Road, Great Yarmouth, was born on May 22, 2003, in Vilkaviskis in Lithuania.
Known as “Domas” by his friends, he moved to England with his family “for a better life” when he was aged seven. His mother explained he had settled well and made lots of friends. She was pleased with how quickly he learnt English as it meant he was able to progress well in school.
In 2019, he took his GCSEs and went on to college to train to be a welder. Unfortunately, after the Covid-19 pandemic hit, he dropped out of his course.
Ms Medeliene said: “He was a normal, good boy. He was loving and caring.
“At his funeral, I saw how much he was loved and liked by his friends.”
She said he would help other family members with their various health concerns, and that he enjoyed gaming, in particular, Minecraft.
Attendees at the inquest heard how police were called to the scene at 3am on March 2 following reports a red Suzuki motorcyclist had been involved in a crash.
Evidence from a number of witnesses' statements explained how Mr Baksaitis has spent the evening of March 1, and the early hours of March 2, with friends at one of their houses. His mood on the evening had been described as “calm” and he was referred to as being “a polite person”.
Shortly before 3am, he was seen revving the engine of the motorcycle in the backyard of his friend’s home before riding off. He had no driving licence or insurance.
Summing up the evidence, Mr Milburn said: “Domantas was the rider of a high-powered Suzuki motorcycle. He was not used to riding that particular motorcycle. It had been stolen only a short time before.
“Domantas had consumed alcohol before the collision and was twice the legal limit for driving. He had also taken cocaine and cannabis sometime prior to the collision. Immediately prior to the collision, it was calculated he was driving at 76mph in significant excess of the 30mph speed limit.
“It has been noted that visibility was limited due to fog at the time too.
“The exact reason why he lost control remains unknown.
“The alcohol, combined with cocaine and cannabis, and lack of riding experience, would offer the most likely factors in the collision.”
A pathologist at the hospital noted the cause of death was a skull fracture and brain injury due to a motor traffic accident.
In a short form conclusion, Mr Milburn recorded the cause of death as “a result of a road traffic collision”. He passed on his condolences to the family and said it was clear Mr Baksaitis was “a caring” individual.
The weekend after his death, a vigil for Mr Baksaitis was held on North Drive, and police used rave legislation to disperse the 100-strong gathering. Two people were later charged with breaching Covid restrictions.
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