TWO men are to appear in court following the death of a teenager.

Motorcycle pillion passenger Ashleigh Reed, 18, was thrown 20ft through the air, sustaining multiple injuries after the bike on which she riding collided with a BMW car.

Edward Simms, of Darlington Lane, Norton, near Stockton, the driver of the BMW, is to appear in court charged with careless driving, while motorcycle rider Michael Ridley of Delaval Road, Billingham, has been charged with driving whilst dis- qualified and without insurance.

Motorist Sean Flattley told a Middlesbrough inquest yesterday that the motorcycle overtook him travelling at about 70mph on 40mph Stockton Ring Road, even swinging out on to the wrong side of the road to get round a 'keep left' bollard.

Mr Simms who had been turning out of Glebe Road on to the ring road, when the accident happened, told police: "I have obviously misjudged the situation and someone has paid dearly for it.''

Mr Ridley, who had been driving the Yamaha 600cc motorbike said he had been driving within the 40mph speed limit.

He said: "The car flew out in front of me.''

Mr Ridley had been riding the motorcycle despite a year's ban for drink-driving.

Home Office pathologist Dr James Sunter said Ms Reed, a student, had been wearing an ill-fitting motorcycle helmet, which came off at some stage of the collision.

He told the inquest: "It was quite clear the injuries were not survivable ones. No change in the medical management of the deceased could have reasonably been expected to effect the outcome.''

Teesside Coroner Michael Sheffield returned a verdict that Ms Reed died as the result of an accident.

Her mother, Maureen, revealed after the inquest, that she has lodged a formal complaint with Cleveland Police who, she said, took almost three hours to inform her of the fatal crash.

Mrs Reed said of her daughter: "She was bubbly, would do anything for anyone, was witty and never stopped talking, which I miss.''

A spokesman for Cleveland Police said a complaint had been received and would be investigated. But he said it would be inappropriate to comment at this time.