An e-scooter rider who died in a Bracknell underpass was found to have been three times over the drink driving limit, an inquest has heard.
Agapito de Sousa, 34, was found in the Twin Bridges underpass on April 24 2021 having sustained a serious head injury, with swelling to the left side of his face.
The inquest today (May 30) heard that he had been drinking at a party at a friend’s house on the night of April 24 before heading home at 3am the next day on his white electric scooter.
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Thames Valley Police officer Matt Kent gave evidence during the inquest at Reading Town Hall and said Agapito’s death was confirmed to be an ‘unsurvivable head injury'.
The inquest was held in Reading Town Hall today where Berkshire coroner Alison McCormick heard statements from both the investigating officers and read out evidence from nearby witnesses.
Alison McCormick said: "On April 24, Mr De Sousa attended a party at a friend's house. In the early hours of the next day, he left alone to return home on his electric scooter.
“Friends who had been at the party called the ambulance service to report he had been found unconscious in the underpass.
"Paramedics attended the scene, where he was found without any obvious injury other than swelling to his face.”
It was heard that Agapito was ‘well over the legal drink drive limit’ of alcohol with approximately 200-232mg alcohol per 100ml of blood in his system.
"The direct cause of death was a head injury. The post-mortem report showed a heavy impact on the head such as that of a heavy fall. There were no signs of an assault,” Alison McCormick said.
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Following a police investigation into his dead, Thames Valley Police concluded that his scooter was ‘opportunistically stolen’ from the scene, but there was no sign of an assault having taken place.
She concluded: "Mr De Sousa had a tendency to travel, what seemed to his neighbour as, high speed. There was no evidence of any altercations at the party but a high level of drinking, and he had a high level of alcohol in his blood.
"On the balance of probabilities, the cause of death is that he had an accident on his scooter and suffered a head injury.
“Mr De Sousa died at the Royal Berkshire Hospital on April 26, 2021, from a fatal head injury sustained when he fell off an e-scooter in the early hours of April 25, 20201 while riding under the influence of alcohol and without a helmet.
“I conclude this was an accidental death."
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