A MOTORCYCLE fanatic who died in April while riding home from work has been described as a “kind-hearted, gentle soul” following his inquest.

Daniel Linge, 43, of Burgage Road, Stogursey, was riding home on his burgundy Suzuki GSF Bandit 1200cc motorcycle on April 25 when he was involved in a head-on collision with a Land Rover Discovery.

He was on the Rodway to Combwich road when the crash happened.

Now, Dan’s partner Tanya has paid tribute to the man she describes as “my best friend and my everything.”

She said: “Dan was a kind-hearted, gentle soul, who loved animals and they equally were drawn to him.

“He often made friends when he used to take moonlit walks, our cats would follow him, and he rescued birds and hedgehogs.

“He loved his bikes and often had something he was tinkering with. He also loved electronics and used to make his own circuit boards for amplifiers, he also made horn speakers too.

“He was extremely knowledgeable and was a patient teacher and mentor to many through the years.”

Tanya and Daniel were together for nearly 10 years, but friends for around 20 years.

She added: “He helped me to be a better version of myself and he invested in my ability to become self-employed.

“He was in a lot of pain all the time which made him seem grumpy at times, but he was so tired of hurting and was waiting for his spinal injury to get so bad they would operate.

“He loved a good dark ale and popping to our local. He made a lot of the metal gates along the Cannington bypass and did conservation work at castle hill quarry.

“He was my best friend and my everything.”

An inquest into the death of Daniel Linge, who was born in Taunton on November 2, 1974, was held yesterday (September 12).

Tony Williams, senior coroner for Somerset, read out a number of witness statements from other drivers who had seen the crash on April 25 between Rodway and Combwich.

Somerset County Gazette:

The road where Mr Linge crashed on April 25

Rosemary Best was on her way home in her red Ford Focus, travelling behind Mr Linge shortly after 5pm.

She said: “I was moving on A39 behind a steady line of traffic when I first noticed near Cannington.

“He was driving normally, sticking to the speed limit and sitting back from the car in front.

“We were only doing about 45mph in a national speed limit area, and I was two or three car lengths back from the motorbike.

“I saw the motorcyclist’s right hand do something on the handlebar and he pulled out onto the other side of the road and went.”

Mr Linge overtook three vehicles, before also attempting to pass a white transit van.

Next, Mrs Best described hearing a loud bang and saw a Land Rover coming towards her.

She said: “I saw a 4x4 coming towards me showing its underneath with the wheels spinning.

“It landed in front of me and carried on sliding and then stopped near me.

“A male from the car in front of me got out and went to the motorcyclist and I went to the vehicle that had slid past me.

“The car was on its side and the door on top opened and two older males climbed out.”

Other drivers ran to the aid of Mr Linge, and two security guard from Hinkley Point gave him chest compressions, but sadly he died at the scene.

Mrs Best stayed with the two men from the Land Rover, who had sustained scrapes and ‘deep shock’.

PC Julian Chambers, the Avon and Somerset Police collision investigator, said it was possible that Mr Linge and the 4x4 did not see each other until it was too late.

He added: “The motorcyclist attempted to overtake a white transit van and collided with another driver.

“Daniel Linge sustained fatal head injuries as a result and died at the scene.

“It is probable that in my opinion a perfect combination of approach speeds and corner angle has hidden the Land Rover in front of the transit.

“Mr Linge and Mr Woodvine (the driver of the Land Rover) would have been suddenly confronted by each other with no time to react.”

The coroner Mr Williams recorded that Mr Linge had died from a road traffic collision.