Road closed as man who died in crash in Chester is named

A coroner has identified the young man who perished in a collision involving a car and a motorbike close to Chester.

Oliver Astin passed away on Wednesday, and Warrington Coroner’s Court formally opened the coroner’s file.

At the young age of 24, Mr. Astin, of Farndon, south of Chester on the border between England and Wales, passed away  on the A556 Chester Road in Delamere.

The route was closed by Cheshire Police for several hours after a serious road traffic collision that resulted in Mr. Astin’s death, as the court heard.

When police arrived on the scene at approximately 9.15 a.m., they discovered that an orange Kawasaki ZC motorbike and a white Audi A5 had collided.

The biker passed away at the scene, and the police later announced that officers with specialised training were providing support to his family.

A police officer verified his identity by looking up his driver’s license.

Because of his “unnatural” death, an inquest was called for, along with a request to postpone the proceedings so that more work could be done.

Jacqueline Devonish, senior coroner for Cheshire, decided to open and adjourn the inquest after hearing from the coroner officer.

“I am confident that Oliver Astin will need an inquest based on the evidence I have heard,” she stated.

As a result, I formally declare an inquest open and set a hearing date of May 1, 2025. On October 13, there will be an internal review.

Police investigations were reported to be ongoing in the days that followed the incident, and investigators were reportedly seeking to speak with anyone who may have dashcam footage or who witnessed the crash.

The serious and complex investigation unit of Cheshire Police’s Inspector Steve Griffiths stated: “An investigation into this incident is still underway.

“I am interested in speaking with anyone who saw the collision or has dashcam or CCTV footage as part of the investigation.

“Anyone who was in the vicinity at the time of the incident and thinks they may have seen either of the vehicles travelling on Chester Road is also welcome to contact me.”

If you know anything, please visit cheshire.police.co.uk/tell-us or call 101, quoting IML 1875877, to report it to Cheshire Police.

By calling 0800 555 111, you can also report information anonymously to Crimestoppers.