A MOTORCYCLIST killed while driving on the wrong side of the road was “misled” by a dip in the road — causing him to think the highway ahead was clear.

Ian Broughton suffered fatal head injuries in the incident on the A684 between Sedbergh and Garsdale in March.

The bike belonging to the Horwich father of two was smashed in three by a crash on a double bend with a Volkswagen Tiguan, an inquest heard.

Sedbergh resident Kevin Seaward, who was driving the car, told the inquest: “We came to the first corner and saw a motorbike on the wrong side of the road.

“He just wobbled and dropped the bike and that was it. He saw us and he wobbled. He knew he had no chance.”

The incident took place during the afternoon of March 30 — a clear, sunny day.

Mr Broughton, aged 52, had been following a regular route with a friend of almost 30 years, Jeffrey Parker, and the pair had previously stopped in Settle before deciding to head home.

Although Mr Broughton’s bike had several faults and had been declared “off the road” by the DVLA and he did not hold a valid MOT certificate, the inquest in Kendal heard these had no bearing on the crash.

The crash happened about 50 metres away from a dip in the road, which may have been “hiding” the Volkswagen, prompting Mr Broughton to accelerate as he got closer.

Mr Seaward said: “He got launched completely over the road, two feet into a grass verge, as if he’d just pulled in and parked up.

“The bike went straight underneath us and ended up at the back of the vehicle.”

Coroner Ian Smith said Mr Broughton had suffered injuries “too distressing” for the court to hear.

He said Mr Broughton had paid a “dear price for a minor misjudgement”.

He added: “He was in the wrong place at the wrong time from the point of view of seeing the Volkswagen.

“He didn’t see it and, on the assumption the road was clear, he made his manoeuvre.”

The coroner concluded that Mr Broughton had died in a road vehicle collision.

“He made a minor misjudgement and paid with his life for that minor misjudgement,” he added.

At the time of his death, Mr Broughton's family paid tribute to him as a loving father, son, brother, uncle and partner.

They said he enjoyed going to the Isle of Man TT races and he had a lifelong interest in music and attending concerts, which he shared with his daughters, Kellie and Rebecca.