THE reason why a keen motorcyclist veered off the road and crashed remains unclear.

Robert Thornton Downs, 63, of Afonwen, Flintshire came of his BMW bike after he hit a road sign on a grass verge at the A525 close to the Ruthin Roundabout.

An inquest in Wrexham heard how several motorists had witnessed the crash at around 7.10am on August 4.

Two motorists initially thought the retired engineer was going to pull over, but that he did not stop and collided with the sign.

Christine Downs, Mr Downs’ wife, told assistant coroner David Lewis that her husband would go for early morning rides in recent weeks due to lack of sleep.

In her statement, Mrs Downs said that her husband had been suffering from anxiety and depression and had been placed on medication some days before the crash.

Doctors had told him that it might take him a couple of weeks to get used to the medication.

Mrs Downs believed that tiredness and fatigue, maybe due to the new medication, was the most likely explanation for the crash.

Toxicology tests found only a therapeutic level of the medication in Mr Downs’ system.

A police report said that conditions were good, the road surface was dry and there were no defects with Mr Downs’ vehicle.

Pathologist Dr Andrew Dalton concluded that Mr Downs had died due to multiple massive traumatic injuries caused by the crash.

Mr Lewis , assistant coroner for North Wales (East and Central) concluded that Mr Downs' death was due to a road traffic collision.

The retired engineer had not been sleeping well and was in the early stages of new medication, the assistant coroner said, but added that it would never be known whether being the medication or tiredness played a part in the crash.

There was no suggestion that Mr downs had been speeding.

As to why Mr Downs had veered off the road, Mr Lewis said that if would be speculation to go into why it happened, although the he did not think for a second that it was anything other than an accident.

He told Mr Downs' relatives and friends at the hearing: "I can't do better than offer you my condolences, but I do so with great sincerity. I am sorry for your loss."

In a statement after Mr Downs' death, the family said in a statement: "In the statement, his family said: “Bob was a loving husband to Christine, brother to Sheena, father to Rhiannon and Bethan and grandfather to Owain, Ioan, Carys, Archer and Ellie.

"He was a kind, loving and caring man who was always willing to assist anyone when he could.

"He was the rock of our life and was a long standing and passionate motorcycle fanatic.

"He left our side so suddenly and we all sorely miss him, but he will always be there in our minds and hearts and never forgotten."