A 41-year-old man who had been riding his motorbike while under the influence of cannabis died in hospital seven days after crashing into a van.

An inquest in Preston heard how on November 4 last year, at around 11am, Gareth Wood had been riding his Yamaha motorbike along Burnley Road from Accrington towards Hapton.

Ahead of him was a white Vauxhall Combo van, which upon approaching Hapton Animal Feeds, prepared to turn right into the car park.

Coroner James Newman told the inquest: "Mr Wood attempted to undertake the van and clipped the rear, which caused him to crash and land in a hedge.

"He was taken to Royal Preston Hospital but sadly died of his injuries on November 11."

The inquest heard that the speed limit on the road had dropped to 30mph and Mr Wood should have been alerted to the fact the van was about to turn right due to its positioning in the road and the fact it had its right indicator light on.

It was not ascertained why Mr Wood did not react to the van's change of position but the inquest was told he had been driving on an expired CBT licence and toxicology showed he had also been under the influence of cannabis at the time.

In a statement to the police, the driver of the Vauxhall van, George Linnane, said he saw the motorbike fly down his passenger side and land in a bush.

The inquest was told Mr Linnane pulled over and then went to see what had happened before leaving the scene when other people arrived and an ambulance was called.

Mr Linnane told the police he was not aware of the bike clipping his vehicle, but witness Jodie Clayton, who stayed with Mr Wood until he was taken to hospital, said she heard Mr Linnane say the bike had hit the back of his van.

Mr Newman said: "On attending the scene, collision investigators could identify a number of marks on the road, and damage to the Yamaha.

"The evidence showed that the most likely events are that the van was indicting to turn right into the car park and the bike failed to react to the van changing direction."

The effects of driving while under the influence of drugs is well documented, Mr Newman told the inquest, and this causes detrimental effects to reaction times.

Mr Newman recorded a road traffic collision conclusion and said: "Gareth Wood, of Stanley Street, Accrington, died as a result of multiple injuries including lung damage and rib fractures, as he was driving along the road on November 4, under the influence of cannabis.

"He failed to identify a stationary vehicle ahead until it was too late and collided with it, clipping the rear end causing him to lose control of his bike and in separating from it sustained catastrophic injuries.

"He succumbed to these injuries at Royal Preston Hospital on November 11.

"His death was due to a road traffic collision."