A motorcyclist died in a head-on collision with an articulated lorry while apparently trying to overtake at a bend, an inquest heard.
Haulier Mikolaj Nowiki told Norfolk Coroner's Court he 'had maybe one second' to try to avert the collision with biker David Kavaney at around 7am on October 24 last year on Fakenham Road, close to Hillington on the A148.
Claire Barrett, Mr Kavaney's partner of around 18 months, told the court she could not be certain he had been wearing his prescription glasses at the time of the collision but that he 'knew the road well'.
'David was aware he should have worn his glasses while driving,' she said. 'Sometimes he wore glasses for driving, sometimes he did not. On the morning of his death David left for work before I got up. To this day I have not found his glasses in my house so I don't know where they are.'
Mr Nowicki, who worked for Tesco, explained he had been travelling around 48mph, well below the speed limit of 60mph on the A148, as he was driving to Sheringham that morning.
'There was absolutely nothing I could have done,' he said. 'When I was on the bend I saw a car coming from the opposite way. Within a second I noticed the single light of the motorcycle, going much faster than me and the other car.
'The only thing I could do was step on the brake as hard as I could.'
Mr Nowicki and another driver who stopped at the scene went to check on Mr Kavaney, but he did not survive.
'Because we were on the bend we were doing whatever we could to warn oncoming traffic, but some vehicles were going past us without stopping,' he added.
Collision investigator PC Forbes Scott told the court the motorcycle had sustained 'catastrophic' damage.
'Due to [Mr Kavaney's] injuries it is not possible to ascertain whether he was wearing glasses at the time of the collision,' he said, adding he may have 'misjudged his position' on the road.
Senior coroner Jacqueline Lake recorded a conclusion of road traffic collision in the death of the 36-year-old, from Queens Close, Wereham. 'The motorcycle did not complete the overtaking manoeuvre but remained in the opposite lane when it collided with the lorry,' she said.
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