June 11, 1904

A SAD fatality occurred late on Saturday night - a motorcyclist named Norman Henry Burden, who was employed at the Enfield Works, Hunt End, Redditch.

The deceased was on a visit to his parents' at Coventry, having during the day motored over from Redditch.

He decided to go for a short run during the evening.

At Meriden, about seven miles out, he was delayed by a puncture and restarted for Coventry between 10 and 11 o'clock.

When running down a hill at Allesley, he passed a lighted trap, followed by three cyclists, two of whom had lighted lamps on their machines, but the third had not.

Deceased's lamp was alight, and he passed the trap and two of the cyclists safely but came into collision with the third machine and was thrown violently to the ground.

Assistance was at once rendered him by his companions but it was at once seen that the injuries had proved fatal.

Medical examinations showed that Burden's neck was dislocated and that he had likewise sustained very serious injuries to the head.

His companions remained at his side until the arrival of the mail van which runs between Leamington and Birmingham and on this the body of the unfortunate motorist was conveyed to the Bull's Head Inn, Meriden.