A morning bike ride ended in tragedy for a York pensioner when he was run over by a tour bus.

An inquest into the death of 72-year-old Donald Dobbs, of Sir John Hunt Homes, Fulford Road, heard that on September 8 last year, he was cycling along the A19 towards Selby when he was in collision with the white Volvo coach carrying 25 American tourists.

The inquest heard the bus driver, Andrew Pike, a man of 30 years' driving experience, did everything in his power to avoid hitting Mr Dobbs. The cyclist had pulled out in an apparent effort to turn right off the A19 at the Naburn Lane junction without signalling or checking behind him.

York coroner Donald Coverdale returned a verdict of accidental death.

Carl Retzer, an American tourist sitting in the front of the coach, said in his statement: "I saw a cyclist driving steadily. We were four to five yards from him when he started to turn across our path.

"The driver started to steer round the cyclist, who hadn't looked behind at all or even signalled with his forearm.

"When he was getting across the lane he put out his arm and again didn't look behind.

"The driver turned the wheel of the bus quite hard across and I thought we were going to miss the cyclist but then we heard a thump and felt an impact."

The inquest heard from PC Michael Natt, of the accident investigation unit at York, who said scratch marks on the coach showed there had been an initial 'glancing blow' from the front left corner of the coach before Mr Dobbs fell to his death.

Robin Hart, of Fishergate, York, who was driving behind the coach at about 8.45am, said: "The coach veered out quite sharply towards the middle of the road and a cyclist appeared on the pavement side out of control.

"The cyclist tilted from side to side and then fell towards the coach and fell just in front of the rear wheel."

Mr Dobbs was wearing a helmet, his bike was in good working order and despite being fitted with a false limb after having his lower leg amputated, this was not thought to have impeded his ability to cycle safely.

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