Cycling UK Forum

http://www.londonfgss.com/thread5192.html

Here's a description of an incident involving a fellow 'fixed-gear' forum member, hit and run by a 4x4 in Norwich a day or so ago. I thought riders in Norwich may like to know about this, and perhaps write a few letters / demonstrate? / see that this idiot gets done for this, properly.

Ride safe, everyone.

Skully

I hope the driver gets banned for life and spends time inside. There's no excuse for that and leaving the scene of an accident is a serious offence.

gilesjuk wrote:I hope the driver gets banned for life and spends time inside. There's no excuse for that and leaving the scene of an accident is a serious offence.

the police have a chance of coming down on this motorist like a ton of bricks, or sitting in their office hoping that having to do some work will all go away.

i seriously hope it's the former

hubgearfreak wrote:the police have a chance of coming down on this motorist like a ton of bricks, or sitting in their office hoping that having to do some work will all go away.

i seriously hope it's the former

Me too but sadly I doubt it. The Police don't seem to care if it's a cyclist, the attitude seems to be serves 'em right!

Amazed that the driver didn't stop (though I suppose I shouldn't be these days.
I'm not saying what, but the driver's should hung on a rusty nail.
It will amaze me more if he/she is caught and even more so if a custodial sentence is handed down.
These people are filth!

Reading the posts on the Fixed forum made me smile wryly at Si's sticky post re swearing on the Tea Shop bit of this forum.

After reading the last post by Vinz it seems they've caught up with the driver and surpise,surprise he was over the limit.
Time to get out the rusty nail .
Though it won't repair Vinz's injures any quicker or his bike for that matter.

reohn2 wrote:Amazed that the driver didn't stop (though I suppose I shouldn't be these days.

Really?
Strange what people'll do when drunk.....

gambatte wrote:

reohn2 wrote:Amazed that the driver didn't stop (though I suppose I shouldn't be these days.

Really?
Strange what people'll do when drunk.....

Yeah it is innit

I was hit 15 years ago and managed to put in a 999 call. The cops got him a mile away, long story, but essentially they went over the car with a comb. Eventually did them for 14 offences.

The good news is that Vinz, the rider invovled, has family who are lawyers, so hopefully this drink & drive away-er will feel the full penalty of the law. Get well soon Vinz if you read this. Hope you don't mind me cross-posting!

Re: swearing on londonfgss.com, sorry. Its a very 'colourful' forum but has a great community spirit, regular pub meets all over London, good deals with other users on bits and frames, and organises some great day and night rides (19 people rode, most on fixed wheels, London to Southend on the BHF route two Saturdays ago: 56 miles. Fish and chips never tasted so nice! Cambridge on May 10th, can't wait...)

Posted by the injured cyclist, Vinz, today (slightly rude word deleted by me!):

UPDATE: Not sure what the specific charges were but the driver has received a 3 years Prison sentence and a 2 year driving ban. I have also received substantial amount of compensation.

Im having surgery tomorrow to have plastic surgery on my arm as it is missing a substantial amount of skin! Luckily I have a fat **** that has some skin to spare! Anyway thank you for all the good words and advice.

Unusually rapid justice: to receive three years imprisonment, the case must have gone to Crown Court. Substantial compensation would normally only be decided after the injury had settled down so that the full extent of injuries could be known to allow detailed negotiations over the settlement. It would go to Civil Court if there were no out-of-court agreement.

Two weeks to get all that weighed off is remarkably rapid (e.g. it is normal before somebody is sentenced to chokey, especially for as long as three years, for there to be pre-sentence reports prepared. That is, I think normally a three week remand.)

Yes, very rapid. I have no reason to doubt the veracity of this report (except that it comes from that fount of mis-information, the world wide interwebby thing).

If it is true, it is heartening to me, the prospect of swift and harsh action against drivers that hit and run. Apparently the only reason the car eventually stopped is because parts of the bicycle, being dragged along underneath, damaged it.

Skully wrote: 3 years Prison sentence and a 2 year driving ban. I have also received substantial amount of compensation. .

The prison sentence, and the compensation sound good. The ban is laughable. He can resume driving at the end of his sentence. Society should be seriously questioning whether this kind of driver should ever be allowed to control a vehicle again.