A SOUTH Yorkshire cardiologist and his GP wife on holiday in America died when their motorbike crashed trying to avoid a car, an inquest heard.
Dr Walter Rhoden, aged 47, consultant cardiologist at Barnsley Hospital for 15 years, and his 45-year-old wife Kathryn Phipps, a GP in Wath and Darfield, were killed after a collision with a pick-up truck in Orlando, Florida, on March 30.
The Sheffield inquest heard the Nissan driver, who had pulled out in front of the bike forcing Dr Rhoden to brake and swerve, had pleaded guilty in an American court and received a $1,063 fine and had their licence revoked for six months. A Florida Traffic Crash Report read out at the inquest said the couple were riding on a popular biker route in Ormond Beach when a Nissan Frontier, travelling in the opposite direction, pulled across into their path.
The report said Dr Rhoden applied the brakes and swerved to avoid the vehicle and the couple being thrown from the bike and on to the road.
They suffered multiple injuries and were both pronounced dead at the scene.
Coroner Donald Coutts-Wood recorded a narrative verdict.
The couple's three children, aged 17, 15 and 13, are now being cared for by their long-time nanny at the family home in Hoyland.
The husband and wife team had both excelled in their careers.
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FeaturesMore Rotherham newsMore Doncaster newsMore Barnsley newsCheck out the very latest on South Yorkshire's roads - including live traffic cameras on Sheffield's commuter routes - with our Traffic sectionLatest sport. The full article contains 276 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
