This made me sad on several levels

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
Post Reply
brianleach
Posts: 633
Joined: 14 Jul 2007, 2:10pm
Location: Winchester, Hants

This made me sad on several levels

Post by brianleach »

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... rider.html

I found this terribly sad and indeed shocking.

The death is obviously shocking but so is the arrogance of the defendant.

So beware if a motorist brushes you and you are silly enough to fall off it is obviously your fault and "nothing to with me guv"
brianleach
Posts: 633
Joined: 14 Jul 2007, 2:10pm
Location: Winchester, Hants

Re: This made me sad on several levels

Post by brianleach »

I now she was found not guilty. Unbelievable.
AndyBSG
Posts: 382
Joined: 10 Jul 2013, 11:16am

Re: This made me sad on several levels

Post by AndyBSG »

She said she was "surprised" to see Mr Pontin and his girlfriend suddenly coming towards her as she rounded the curve in the road, but felt they still had enough room to get past.


So she admitted overtaking by driving into the lane of oncoming traffic on a bend and was found not guilty?

I'm sorry but anyone who tries to overtake on a bend should be found guilty, full stop. As it was cyclists heading towards her they would have been probably been travelling at about 10-15MPH. If it had been a car coming the other way they would have been travelling MUCH faster so there is no way she had a safe distance to overtake.
User avatar
meic
Posts: 19355
Joined: 1 Feb 2007, 9:37pm
Location: Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen)

Re: This made me sad on several levels

Post by meic »

Where as she almost got off on the universal "it was only a cyclist" basis.

Her argument is that the cyclist rode (or more accurately fell) into her path which was "safely :roll: " going past the cyclist, rather than into them.
Yma o Hyd
snibgo
Posts: 4604
Joined: 29 Jun 2010, 4:45am

Re: This made me sad on several levels

Post by snibgo »

The trial continues.
brianleach
Posts: 633
Joined: 14 Jul 2007, 2:10pm
Location: Winchester, Hants

Re: This made me sad on several levels

Post by brianleach »

http://t.co/5I39ILVhCN

This appeared today on Twitter posted by Michael Hutchinson.

Sorry if my original post was confusing. I didn't realise she had been found not guilty then!!
Mark1978
Posts: 4912
Joined: 17 Jul 2012, 8:47am
Location: Chester-le-Street, County Durham

Re: This made me sad on several levels

Post by Mark1978 »

So it now official case law that overtaking into a blind bend is fine.
User avatar
meic
Posts: 19355
Joined: 1 Feb 2007, 9:37pm
Location: Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen)

Re: This made me sad on several levels

Post by meic »

I think you have misinterpreted the verdict, it is merely following the well established "it was only a cyclist" defence.
Yma o Hyd
Mark1978
Posts: 4912
Joined: 17 Jul 2012, 8:47am
Location: Chester-le-Street, County Durham

Re: This made me sad on several levels

Post by Mark1978 »

It seems to have been the basis of the defence that the cyclists saw a car approaching at 50mph, and desperately tried to get out of the way, and in doing so fell off. It's true that the crash may not have occured if the cyclist didn't fall off; but at the same time the cyclist only fell off because she was desperately trying to save her own life from that of the approaching car.

IMO causing death by careless driving would be a MINIMUM.
AndyBSG
Posts: 382
Joined: 10 Jul 2013, 11:16am

Re: This made me sad on several levels

Post by AndyBSG »

snibgo wrote:
The trial continues.


Unfortunately, the trial doesn't continue. She was found not guilty within three hours of the jury retiring to consider their verdict.
MartinC
Posts: 2127
Joined: 10 May 2007, 6:31pm
Location: Bredon

Re: This made me sad on several levels

Post by MartinC »

Chilling. In the UK it appears that cyclists have no right to life. I despair.
brianleach
Posts: 633
Joined: 14 Jul 2007, 2:10pm
Location: Winchester, Hants

Re: This made me sad on several levels

Post by brianleach »

I suppose cynically cancer scientist v cyclist equals not a hope in hell of a guilty verdict
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: This made me sad on several levels

Post by Mick F »

I'm not taking side here, and not condoning the driver's actions.
Just giving an alternative view.
Shout at me if you want.

There was a jury of 12 good people. It was they who found the plaintive NG.

Why?

Maybe the Daily Telegraph hasn't published the whole facts of the case, just the bits that grab the headlines and keep the readers fed with "news". A sort of precis, and not the full story warts and all.
Mick F. Cornwall
User avatar
meic
Posts: 19355
Joined: 1 Feb 2007, 9:37pm
Location: Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen)

Re: This made me sad on several levels

Post by meic »

It is pretty much the norm for motorists to pass me with less than a foot of safety space.
We all know that the Police attitude is "no contact-no problem" Basically the rules out there are "one wobble and you're dead".
She was a novice cyclist, she wobbled, she died.

Even if you dont wobble how can they punish a motorist who didnt do much different to the others and accidentally got a little bit too close?

"It was only a cyclist" is a pretty safe defence for any motorist, the North Europeans must look at these court cases with amazement.
Yma o Hyd
brianleach
Posts: 633
Joined: 14 Jul 2007, 2:10pm
Location: Winchester, Hants

Re: This made me sad on several levels

Post by brianleach »

Who knows Mick you may be right.

However the report seemed pretty comprehensive to me and when I read the first report in the Times yesterday my jaw dropped at the breathtaking arrogance of the defendant.

12 good people maybe but I am afraid I refer to my previous post although perhaps I am being too cynical
Post Reply