Shropshire Star

Police body rule out Welshpool crash investigation

A police watchdog has ruled out investigating the death of a motorcyclist who died after colliding with another car near a vehicle checkpoint.

Published

The Independent Police Complaints Commission will take no further action into the accident on June 1, which saw a motorbike ridden by 29-year-old Melanie Lakin involved in a crash with a car which had stopped while approaching a police road block on the A458 near Welshpool.

Miss Lakin, from Tamworth died following the crash and Dyfed-Powys Police voluntarily referred the matter to the IPCC.

But the authority said it had assessed the information and was not taking the matter any further.

A spokesman for the IPCC said: "The IPCC received a referral from Dyfed-Powys Police on June 2, 2014.

"Following an assessment of the information available, it was determined the investigation into this incident did not require IPCC involvement."

Miss Lakin had been returning home from a picnic with her boyfriend Oliver at Bala Lake when the accident happened.

The collision happened when a marked police motorcyclist had stopped on the road and was carrying out checks on vehicles in the area.

Several cars had stopped behind the vehicles being examined and the motorcycle collided with one of the them.

Miss Lakin was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a tribute released after her death, Miss Lakin's family said: "Melanie was a kind, caring and generous person. She was a keen motorcyclist who loved life, people, nature and animals especially her pet cats Hector and Cleo.

"She had just completed her first year at Birmingham City University in Diagnostic Radiography, which she was thoroughly enjoying and was looking forward to a successful career in the NHS."combining her love of helping people and a technical, visual subject.

"She had a keen eye and appreciation for photography, music and art and managed to combine all three on many occasions by photographing some of her favourite bands and musicians at music festivals."

Her family added: "She loved the great outdoors. She had been out for a lovely picnic at Bala Lake, North Wales, with her boyfriend Oliver on their motorcycles on a glorious sunny, spring day. During the return journey she tragically lost her life in a road traffic accident.

"She will be sorely missed by her mother Pam, father Nigel, brother Jody, his partner Elena, boyfriend Oliver and the many friends and colleagues who had known her during her all too short 29 years."

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