Bournemouth | Posted on July 9th, 2026 | return to news

Tribute to rider of an electric unicycle who died in Bournemouth collision

The wife of Benjamin Franklin Wells-Lane, who died on the Wessex Way, has paid tribute to her ‘kind and caring’ husband.

The wife of the man who died in a collision on the Wessex Way on the afternoon of Friday 3 July has paid tribute to her husband, with Dorset Police still seeking witnesses.

Dorset Police received a report at 4.04pm of a collision involving an electric unicycle on the A338 between the Bournemouth West Roundabout and the Richmond Hill Roundabout.

Emergency services attended and, very sadly, the rider of the electric unicycle – 46-year-old Benjamin Franklin Wells-Lane – was pronounced dead at the scene.

Benjamin’s wife has issued the following tribute: “Benjamin Franklin Wells-Lane was born in Utah and mostly grew up on a 100-acre orange farm in California. After a meandering route, he came to Virginia, just outside of Washington DC, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

“17 years later, we met and quickly became the closest of partners and were married on 2 July 2024, both of us choosing a double-barrelled surname.

“Ben was the kindest and most caring person I have ever met. He would do anything for people he cared about, and he actively looked for something in people that made them special and worthy of that care.

“He was my giant. Standing at 6’4” to my 5’4”, I mean that both literally and figuratively. There were no obstacles I could not face with him at my side.

“We always had an adventure planned – trips, hobbies and activities. We lived a full life. We scuba dived with sharks in Mexico and paddle-boarded in the Dominican Republic. He was the ever-present, goofiest and loudest supporter at all of my triathlon races.

“Two years ago, we made the decision to embark on our biggest adventure and move to the UK based on my ancestry. When we made that decision, he had never been to the UK, but he trusted me enough to believe me when I told him he would like it.

“We arrived on 14 January 2025 in Poole. When people asked why we moved here, Ben responded with ‘the weather’.

“Since our arrival in the UK, we have made use of our National Trust membership, visited France via the ferry to Cherbourg, and travelled to the Basque region of Spain. Ben was always my favourite travel companion. But more than travel opportunities, Ben and I fell in love with Poole and the harbour. In a matter of days, we agreed that Poole would be our home until the end of our days.

“In the last few days, as I have tracked down all of his friends, I have been amazed and warmed by the sheer number of them and the depth of feeling they have for Ben. With friends from Page One, Wild Boscombe, Indaba dinners, my membership with the Ladies Fleet at Parkstone Yacht Club, the Green Party, and the Dorset Wildlife Trust, where he volunteered weekly on Brownsea Island, along with the countless customers of his handyman services, I know he has made a lasting impression in our new home.

“Even people who never formally met him have expressed sadness at his death – a giant, white-bearded man on a unicycle with the most infectious of smiles does make for quite the memory. He was truly a most special person.

“He was a steady supporter, always in my corner. He told people that meeting me saved him and showed him he could love and be lovable again after some trauma in the past, and I only hope he knew he saved me too. My four years with Ben were all too short but have permanently etched themselves into my soul.”

Anyone with information about the collision is asked to contact Dorset Police online, via email at scit@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55260099601. Alternatively, independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously online using its website or by calling Freephone 0800 555 111.