Mystery over death of Brit woman killed travelling in Mexico on dark lane while partner walked away unscathed

A BRITISH woman was killed while riding a motorcycle on an unlit road in Mexico, an inquest has heard. Bethany Marie Eaton, 27, died in a crash on December 28, 2021, near Puerto Morelos, around 20 miles south of the popular Mexican resort of Cancun. Eaton familyBrit woman Beth Eaton, 27, died in a crash in Mexico in December 2021[/caption] GofundmeThe tattooist from Bournemouth was riding a motorbike with her partner at the time[/caption] The Brit tattoo artist from Bournemouth, Dorset, was riding a motorcycle as a passenger with her partner when she crashed into a vehicle carrying out roadworks. But mystery remains over exactly how Bethany was killed due to alleged “inconsistencies” in eyewitness testimony and delays in receiving information from the Mexican authorities. She had been travelling around Mexico since May 2021 with her partner Sam Smith, known to the family as Sam Jones. Smith walked away from the crash unscathed and reportedly changed his story following the preliminary hearing. A hearing at Bournemouth Town Hall on Thursday heard how the couple were driving along a single-lane dirt road on their way back from the supermarket at around 5.35pm on the day of the crash. The Bournemouth Echo reports that their motorcycle stopped behind a large “grader” vehicle involved in roadworks. Due to the roadworks, the motorcycle was forced to stop and wait in a queue of traffic. While stopped at a junction, the vehicle began to reverse, crashing into the motorbike. Bethany suffered a traumatic brain injury and later died. The road had no lighting, no road signs, and no CCTV, while the roadworks had been arranged by a nearby residents’ group and were described as “private” works. Senior Coroner for Dorset Rachel Griffin told the pre-inquest review: “I can answer the who, when and where. It’s the how she came by her death that will take more time.” Beth’s father Mark Eaton expressed concerns over apparent changes in the account given by her partner, who survived the crash unharmed. Smith has been identified by Mrs Griffin as an interested person in the inquest. Mark told the hearing: “My daughter lost her life and he escaped unharmed. We need to know how that happened.” Mrs Griffin said in response: “Sam was present, therefore he is the best person to answer these questions. “People react in different ways, what happened was extremely traumatic and whilst I understand the questions the family are asking, sometimes trauma can impact recollections.” She called on Smith’s family to make sure he comes to a future hearing to help establish exactly what happened. The inquest was adjourned to allow more information to be gathered. A further preliminary hearing will take place on December 6.