The 2020 death of a Wānaka man was the result of positional asphyxia after he failed to negotiate a curve while motorcycling, the coroner has found.

Matthew Clark, a 44-year-old self-employed labourer and gardener and a resident of Albert Town, was “passionate about riding motorcycles”, coroner Ruth Thomas said.

Witnesses saw a person matching his description travelling on Cardrona Valley Road on his Yamaha YZF1 the evening before his body was found in a paddock next to the road.

One witness described the vehicle as “screaming” along the road in the direction of Queenstown and another said they had commented to their wife about its “enormous speed”.

A third person said the motorcycle approached his car from behind at speed and accelerated before sweeping past his car and two other vehicles.

He said he believed the motorbike was doing at least twice his speed of 95km per hour.

Matthew’s body and motorbike were discovered in the paddock at around 7am on March 6 by a member of the public.

The coroner said a pathologist had concluded the cause of his death was due to positional asphyxia occurring while comatose after impact.

Matthew had been wearing a full-face motorcycle helmet and the chin bar section of the full-face helmet was pushed hard against the nose, covering his mouth entirely.  

The pathologist said there was a very high probability the helmet has obstructed respiration, particularly given he was found lying down with his chest on the ground.  

Matthew had left the road after failing to negotiate a curve.

“Based on the witness observations from that evening an inference can be drawn that Mr Clark was riding his motorcycle at speed,” the coroner said. 

“I am satisfied, it is likely that high speed led to Mr Clark failing to negotiate the curve and continuing to ride straight ahead off the road.”

Toxicological analysis identified the presence of a low level of alcohol, the presence of diazepam and cannabis.

The death was ruled an accident.

PHOTO: Supplied