Cyclist kills teen

[bfergie]

Just been watching the news, I was shocked to hear that a man on his bike hit a girl while on a pavement and she died a few days later in hospital. He left court with a £2200 fine...thats it! The man had time to shout at the girls to get out of his way yet didn't stop or swerve although he was only doing 17mph!!
The behavior of this man was disgraceful and has done nothing to improve the reputation of cyclists, I hope the girls family does not class all cyclists like this man. Sometimes I just don't know what is in peoples heads if anything! For one thing why cycle on the pavement, why shout at people when you could brake. It's beyond belief to me. Sincerest condolences go out to the girls family.

[cbrc63]

Not normally a Daily Mail-reading 'flog'em and hang'em' type but - A FINE!!

God only knows what this poor girl's family feel about this!

Beggars belief that someone can act like this, kill someone and walk away with a fine!!

[themadchemist]

I'd first like to give my sincerest condolences to the girls family, and to say that i too couldn't believe what i'd read.

Has this country gone mad...to just give this man a fine and not a custodial sentence beggars belief.

What was a man in his 30's doing cycling on the pavement? and what sort of arrogance to yell at the people on the pavement to get out of his way ,as he wasn't going to stop.
He intentionally ran into that poor girl,so surely this was murder? ..but after reading the price of his bike,i expect he was able to hire good lawyers to get him just a fine.I wonder how they can sleep at night..
..yes this has made me very angry..if i'd have been the judge i'd have locked him up and thrown away the key.

[le_petit_grimpeur]

There is something not quite right about that story...he was on a top flight TT bike and aimed himself at the pedestrian?

It seems like half a story well spun.

[wuverley]

There is also a legal issue, if he could be charged with any kind of homicide it would have been done surely. I am also suspicious about this story, the family knew what the charge and possible sentence was but are still shocked.

There is another point, why is this on the national news, before G8 summit reporting? When cars run people over it only makes the local paper, even when it is a death on a pavement. I know this sounds callous but.....well there you are.

[rover1971]

I saw a report as well stating that he was on the pavement but in fact there was no evidence in court to prove either pavement or road cycling! One Police Officer said he was between 1 & 10 inches from the kerb on the road side but it must be difficult to prove either way. If he was on the road it seems to me to be a case of teenagers playing the 'I know your coming so I'm walking really slowly' game ended with an incredibly unlucky and tragic finish, but only he knows the truth and he will have to live with it forever.

[wuverley]

I have thought about this a bit more.

I understand the bereaved family are making statements now that the verdict is out because that is the best way to start a campaign.

But there is no campaign worth fighting, I'm afraid.

Cyclists kill about 1 person a year, that's it.

Motorists kill about 1000 non- driving people, averaged out, per year. Again, I don't want to appear callous, but that's it.

Like most people on this forum, I drive and cycle, and I'd rather be hit by a bike than a car.

[scm]

She died because she hit her head on the kerb, so presumably it's the people who laid the dangerous kerbstones who are to blame.

Or it's her fault for not wearing a helmet?

As others have said, it's a sad case but if the guy had been driving a car the fine would have been far lower - that bloke in Rhyl was fined £180(?) and he managed to kill 4 cyclists! So is the message here that cyclists' lives are cheap, but pedestrians' aren't?

[Sly]

It all depends on the finer details that have been mentioned above. If he was on the pavement and had any kind of intent, then of course he deserved to have the book thrown at him. However, if the pedestrians were in any way to blame, it's not so clear cut. If the details aren't there, we can't really comment on it.

The Rhyll case, though incredibly shocking, was partly due to icy road conditions and although the motorist should have been taking it more steadily, anyone who's skidded on ice knows that you cannot do a thing to stop it. A guy riding his bike along a pavement or road usually has a good chance of braking or changing direction. It's not a comparable case, and to throw the Rhyll case in to the mix just serve to distance cyclists yet further, IMO.

[tonybv9]

There is something not quite right about that story...he was on a top flight TT bike and aimed himself at the pedestrian?

It seems like half a story well spun.

I didn't see it on TV, but this link has a CCTV image of him prior to the incident. It's not very clear, but he appears to be riding a MTB type of bike, and wearing jeans and a baseball cap. Not what most people on this forum would call a serious cyclist.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/b...ts/7496757.stm