A MOTORCYCLIST died in the arms of a good Samaritan who desperately tried to save his life. 

A blue Peugeot van and a silver BMW motorcycle collided in Terling Road at about 4.10pm on Tuesday. The rider of the bike, a 59-year-old man from Witham, died at the scene.

Police have not made any arrests and are appealing for witnesses to the collision and in particular the occupants of a green car who may have witnessed it or been close by when it happened.

Halstead resident Bobby Don, 29, was travelling along the road at the time and performed first aid before the motorcyclist died in his arms.

He said: “I would want the family to know that someone was with him when he died.

“I’ve thought about what happened all night, after you have time to reflect you can’t stop thinking about it.

“I feel for the family, it’s the worst thing I could imagine for anyone, to have the police turn up on your doorstep.

“He took his last breath while I was holding him to try and help him.

“The motorcyclist had a backpack on and someone gave me a knife to cut it off and his gloves.

“We rolled him over and supported his head and took his helmet off but it was too late.

“I started chest compressions and a woman rushed over to help.”

The road, which is often used by drivers trying to avoid the A12, has a 60mph speed limit, which Mr Don feels could be lowered.

He said: “I said to my other half when we were driving there two weeks ago, one of these days someone will die on this road.

“People just think there’s never many cars along that road and they can put their foot down, it’s really a single lane.

“I think the road could be widened and there are hedges there that really need to be cut down because you can’t see around them.”

Anyone with information on the crash should contact PC Natacha Brown on 101 or e-mail collisionappeal@essex.pnn.police.uk.