Crowborough man died after cycling accident in Spain

Alan Rae Smith passed away in the Son Espases Hospital in Mallorca on October 14 after coming off his bike a few days before, an inquest heard.

The inquest at Eastbourne Town Hall on Thursday (June 3), heard Mr Rae Smith, a retired solicitor, had gone to Spain on the October 7 to visit an old university friend.

Sarah Rae Smith, his wife, said, “He was a devoted father with a huge capacity of kindness and brilliant sense of humour.”

She said Mr Rae Smith was cycling with his friend from their villa to the nearby town of Pollenca.

She said, “They were biking slowly, chatting as they went.”

Mrs Rae Smith said when they reached a junction which was on a bridge over a dry riverbed, Mr Rae Smith fell off his bike and over the bridge wall.

Mr Rae Smith was immediately unconscious as he had suffered a serious head injury, the inquest heard.

Mrs Rae Smith said she flew out that afternoon and found her husband on the Intensive Care Unit in hospital.

She said she was told doctors couldn’t operate because of the level of bleeding on the brain. The inquest heard he never regained consciousness.

In the days that followed Mr Rae Smith deteriorated and the couple’s children flew out. At 3.10pm on October 14 Mr Rae Smith was taken off life support and passed away that afternoon, the inquest heard.

Dr Justin Morris, Mr Rae Smith’s GP, said in 2017 scans had revealed a benign brain tumour after he’d had a seizure and blackout on the street.

It was questioned whether Mr Rae Smith’s accident had therefore been caused by another blackout, but Mrs Rae Smith said she was told by doctors in Spain that there was no way of knowing for sure if this was the case.

East Sussex coroner Alan Craze ruled Mr Rae Smith’s death was accidental.