Cyclist kills pedestrian

[domtyler]

I read that he stopped and administered CPR. That's pretty vile and arrogant, isn't it.

What would you shout to a bunch of youths in the road? Something like "I'm not going to stop" which might be interpreted differently?

The fact that he stopped only goes to show that he knew he had done some serious harm to a young girl simply as he couldn't be arsed to stop. You can't change the fact that he deliberately ploughed into a group of kids killing one of them in cold blood. You can call that what you like but in my book he is getting away pretty damn likely being described as arrogant and vile.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I read that he stopped and administered CPR. That's pretty vile and arrogant, isn't it.

It strikes me as the least he could do, having just ridden into one of them and injured her badly enough to kill her.

What would you shout to a bunch of youths in the road? Something like "I'm not going to stop" which might be interpreted differently?

I'm not quite sure what you're getting at here, but I would probably not shout anything at them. Or if I did, I'd be prepared to either stop or go around them. I certainly wouldn't just ride into them at full welly. (If indeed that is what happened - I agree that we don't know all the facts of this case. Although, of course, that applies to all cases commented on on this forum.)

 

[Jaded]

domtyler:

What would you shout? (You never answered that one)
Have you ever felt threatened by a group of youths at thre roadside?
Would you stop if you thought you'd get a hammering?
Were you there?
How many witnesses were there for the prosecution and how many for the defence?

 

[caesar]

You can't change the fact that he deliberately ploughed into a group of kids killing one of them in cold blood.

Is this a fact though? Has anyone heard his side of the story?

 

[Origamist]

I read that he stopped and administered CPR. That's pretty vile and arrogant, isn't it.

What would you shout to a bunch of youths in the road? Something like "I'm not going to stop" which might be interpreted differently?

He did help the victim after the crash, that's why he was not fined the full amount.

However, he should have braked and steered around the group, not try and cut through a narrow gap near the kerb. According to the judge:

"You had ample opportunity to greatly reduce your speed. You had oceans of room to avoid any possible contact between you and any of the group."

 

[Jaded]

Or if I did, I'd be prepared to either stop or go around them. I certainly wouldn't just ride into them at full welly.

I've read a few comments on threads about riding at night when there are youths out and about - e.g. at closing time, and one response from the riders has been to carry on, and to shout that they are carrying on.

Would you stop everywhere? What if it's a rough part of town? What if you couldn't go round?

A terrible thing has happened and the girl's family are rightly very upset.

domtyler's agreement with the 'vile and arrogant' comment is simply him being a tabloid junkie. I thought he was a better person that that.

 

[Jaded]

He did help the victim after the crash, that's why he was not fined the full amount.

However, he should have braked and steered around the group, not try and cut through a narrow gap near the kerb. According to the judge:

"You had ample opportunity to greatly reduce your speed. You had oceans of room to avoid any possible contact between you and any of the group."

So there were kids in the road then? Where in the road? Was it on CCTV?

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Hmmmm, OK, some fair points there. However, if they were too scary for him to stop before he rode into one of them, how was it that they weren't scary afterwards when he stopped to give CPR? You'd have thought he'd have been frightened of being lynched by them.

 

[Riding in Circles]

So there were kids in the road then? Where in the road? Was it on CCTV?

Yes it was on CCTV according to the news report, if he had felt threatened he would not have tried to make a gap, he would have steered wide of them don't you think?

 

[domtyler]

You can't change the fact that he deliberately ploughed into a group of kids killing one of them in cold blood.

Is this a fact though? Has anyone heard his side of the story?

Hi Caesar, it is a key piece of evidence that the 'cyclist' shouted at the group of kids to "Get out of the way 'cos I'm not stopping".

 

[Disgruntled Goat]

You can't change the fact that he deliberately ploughed into a group of kids killing one of them in cold blood.

Is this a fact though? Has anyone heard his side of the story?

Presumably the court did and found him guilty.

 

[dondare]

My experience is that you can't avoid pedestrians crossing the road by riding round them, they just keep moving until you're all on the other side and they're still in your way. So you have to slow down, perhaps stop, and wait. But if they're larking about, playing chicken or intent on making you stop in order to nick your bike (as anyone who reads the tabloids would expect "feral youths" to behave after a few Stellas) then this isn't an option.
The reasons for the kids being in the road and the reasons for the cyclist not stopping do not seem to have been covered, this could be anything from manslaughter to self defence.

 

[domtyler]

I've read a few comments on threads about riding at night when there are youths out and about - e.g. at closing time, and one response from the riders has been to carry on, and to shout that they are carrying on.

Would you stop everywhere? What if it's a rough part of town? What if you couldn't go round?

A terrible thing has happened and the girl's family are rightly very upset.

domtyler's agreement with the 'vile and arrogant' comment is simply him being a tabloid junkie. I thought he was a better person that that.

I feel a little outraged when I hear of motorists getting away scot free with killing innocent people on the roads, on this occasion a cyclist has clearly behaved in an appalling way on the roads resulting in a young girls death, bringing shame and derision in the whole of the cycling fraternity and I feel a little outraged at the paltry sentence. You defend him if you wish, that is you and you probably wont change.

 

[Origamist]

So there were kids in the road then? Where in the road? Was it on CCTV?

He admitted this in his own testimony - that there were kids in the road. He did not expect the girl to try and get back to the kerb after his warning shout.

He said:

"After calling someone and not moving or walking further right, I didn’t think they had any intention of getting back to the path."

 

[Origamist]

I will be interested to see if this goes to appeal and in some ways I hope that it does. I think there are some important issues that need to be addressed, in particular about cyclists and speed.

One thing that surprised me about this case (though on reflection I shouldn't be surprised) is that the police, CPS and court seemed to find it difficult to believe that a cyclist can do 20+mph. I routinely do so such speeds on my commute, where the road is relatively clear (e.g. along the Mall). If this judgement stands, will it be used to condemn me? Yes, I know it's not precedent setting but that won't sop people from trying to use it.

Also, as a matter of interest, I wonder whether the district judge was a cyclist?

I think the Court were more surprised that he did not moderate his speed when confronted with peds in the road.