A teenage motorcyclist was hit by an oncoming car after being thrown from his bike after hitting a deer, an inquest heard.

Tom Forman, 18, from Bluebell Close, Watton, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident on the A1075 at Ovington, between Watton and Shipdham, on July 8.

A post mortem examination revealed that he died from multiple injuries due to a road traffic collision, although the inquest was told that it could not be established whether his death was caused by hitting the deer or being run over by a car.

Yesterday'sNorwich inquest was told that Mr Forman, who was travelling towards Dereham, hit a deer just after 10pm and was thrown onto the carriageway.

Driver Richard Day stopped his car and attempted to slow down another car coming from the opposite direction by waving his hands and flashing his headlights.

However, the inquest heard that Matthew Hammond, who was driving the oncoming car, failed to stop in time and ran over Mr Forman's body. The car ended up in a field.

Recording a verdict of death as a result of a road traffic collision, Norfolk coroner William Armstrong said: 'There's no way of establishing whether Tom died from the collision with the deer or the consequences of the collision with Mr Hammond's vehicle.'

Mr Day, who was driving back to his home in Dereham, said he had seen the carcass of a deer and then spotted the motorcycle and Mr Forman lying in the road.

The inquest heard that Mr Day had done everything he could to stop Mr Hammond's car and had acted appropriately.

Mr Hammond, who was driving in the opposite direction, said he assumed Mr Day's vehicle was heading towards him. He said he then saw Mr Day waving his arms by the side of his car to get him to slow down, but it was too late.

'It all happened in a matter of seconds,' he said.

Mr Forman's mother, Lynn, asked Mr Hammond at the inquest why he had not slowed down, but he said he assumed the other car was coming towards him.

Crash investigator PC Simon Hall said: 'Despite Mr Day's efforts to stop the car, it's possible that his use of headlamps may have caused confusion. There was no suggestion that Mr Hammond was not driving appropriately, but perhaps he could have slowed down to assess the situation better.'

The inquest was told that Mr Hammond had not been prosecuted.

Afterwards, Mr Forman's mother said of him: 'He was a wonderful son and I could not have loved him any more than I did. He is a great loss to his brother and sister. It's just a tragic thing to have happened.'

david.bale2@archant.co.uk