A MOTORCYCLIST has died following a serious crash near Gillingham, with police now appealing for witnesses.
Emergency services were called at 2.32pm yesterday to a collision on the B3092 at Milton-on-Stour, just north of Gillingham.
The incident involved a silver Peugeot 308 and a black Triumph motorcycle.
Despite the efforts of paramedics, the motorcyclist – a man in his 30s – was pronounced dead at the scene. His family has been informed.
The road was closed for several hours as emergency services responded and specialist officers carried out a detailed examination of the scene.
Sgt Richard Stroud, of the Roads Policing Team, said: “Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the motorcyclist who sadly died and we will be carrying out a thorough investigation to establish the full circumstances of this collision.
“I would urge any witnesses or anyone who may have captured relevant dashcam footage to please contact us.
“I would also like to thank members of the public for their patience and understanding during the road closures.”
Officers are now urging anyone who saw what happened, or who may have dashcam footage from the area at the time, to come forward as enquiries continue.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police online, via email at scit@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting incident number 20:336.
Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
To the family.
It was with great sadness on 21 March I read on the BBC’s online news page that a fellow motorcyclist had died on the B3092 in Milton-on-Stour.
That same day I had been enjoying a ride out on my motorcycle also a Triumph. At just after 14:00 hours I was riding home through Sturminster Newton. As I turned left at the lights just past the doctor’s surgery onto the B3091 towards Shaftesbury, a black Triumph coming from the Shaftesbury direction turned into the junction. I made eye contact with the rider as we each made our manoeuvre and gave each other the usual camaraderie ‘rider’s nod’.
It was a perfect day for motorcycling and the man on the black Triumph was looking very content and riding sedately. I noticed the Triumph logo on his petrol tank and as I rode away, wished I’d had the same traditional logo placed on my tank when I had it resprayed recently.
I have no idea if this was the same man, but the timing seems likely to me. Being a weekday, there were fewer bikers on the roads which were generally quiet, but my message to the deceased man’s family and friends is the same; moments before the accident he was likely in a very happy frame of mind. It is to achieve that state of mind bikers accept the risks inherent with motorcycling.
With my sincere condolences and respect.
A fellow biker.