Cyclist who fractured pedestrian's skull while riding laps of Regent's Park fined £500 over group ride collision on wrong side of crossing

[wiggydiggy]

Cyclist who fractured pedestrian's skull while riding laps of Regent's Park fined £500 over group ride collision on wrong side of crossing

Plus £2500 compensation to be paid by the cyclist Mathew Thornley

> Lawyers representing the cyclist said there was a "build up of traffic" which led to him taking "evasive action" and riding on the wrong side of the road and a pedestrian island, where he hit Ms Dos Santos. Thornley added that he was not riding faster than the park's 20mph speed limit and called the riding an "evasive manoeuvre".
> However, Ms Dos Santos told the newspaper the sentence was "paltry and insulting", claiming she had not been informed of the change to Thornley's plea and never submitted an impact statement.
> She commented: "What annoys me is that the judge has sentenced this cyclist without any input from me about how this collision has affected me. The cyclist was on the wrong side of the road. If a motorist was driving on the wrong side of the road and caused these injuries he or she would have been punished far more severely.

I've got some problems with this firstly if there was "a build up of traffic" then he should have stopped, riding on the wrong side of the road is not an option. His ride is not more important the the laws he should have been following. If he was unable to stop then he is riding without due care, too fast or his bike was defective.

Then she absolutely should have been informed of the hange in plea, but I'm not sure if that would be the resposibility of the CPS/Court or her own solicitors. From something else she said "this man is a cyclist without insurance means he has got away with it. Solicitors are not prepared to fight such cases for victims because cyclists do not have insurance." it sounds like perhaps she didn't. Should insurance for cyclists on organised events be mandatory so pedestrians have some protection?

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Member ship of British cycling and cycling uk both come with 3rd party cover as far as I am aware

which suggests that he was not a member of either

the point about "if it was a car" is valid
a car deciding to drive on the other side of the road because of a build up of traffic would get zero sympathy from anyone and does rather make it sound like the important thing to him was to maintain speed

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Should insurance for cyclists on organised events be mandatory

What event was he taking part in?

 

[wiggydiggy]

Member ship of British cycling and cycling uk both come with 3rd party cover as far as I am aware

which suggests that he was not a member of either

the point about "if it was a car" is valid
a car deciding to drive on the other side of the road because of a build up of traffic would get zero sympathy from anyone and does rather make it sound like the important thing to him was to maintain speed

Yeah I watched a video a while back - dash cam youtube channel - of a car that overtook another on the wrong side of an island and plowed down a pedestrian. I've got experience of it myself where I have been cycling past an island and cars have overtaken on the wrong side.

What event was he taking part in?

The ride was organised by his club.

Actually I though club membership comes with 3rd party insurance. I looked up my local club and they have it in place for members, this one (Muswell Hill Peloton club) doesn't make it clear on their website if they do or not.

Edit

Actually I need to correct myself, the ride he was on was organised by Club Peloton - that link is to their upcoming Regents Park event.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I have certainly seen people pass me on the wrong side of a central refuge

and not only on my bike
the road leading to the grand kids house is 20 mph because of a row of shops on the road
and "some people" don;t seem t get it - to the extent that I generally do 22-23 because doing 20 just means someone will do something dumb

but I have had people pass be at high revs on the wrong side of the road JUST BY THE SHOPS
and not only that - with a solid row of parked cars just to their right
which could easily hide a pedestrian

at least on my bike I have only seen it on open roads!!

and yes - I know the "doing 20 in a 20" ina whole different discussion - lets leave that for another thread

 

[Cirrus]

Pity cycling Mikey wasn’t there, he could have thrown his bike at him and saved the woman from injury.

 

[Drago]

a car deciding to drive on the other side of the road because of a build up of traffic would get zero sympathy from anyone and does rather make it sound like the important thing to him was to maintain speed

Zip round the wrong side of a traffic island in a car thats pretty much automatically regarded as dangerous driving.

 

[Webbo2]

Yeah I watched a video a while back - dash cam youtube channel - of a car that overtook another on the wrong side of an island and plowed down a pedestrian. I've got experience of it myself where I have been cycling past an island and cars have overtaken on the wrong side.



The ride was organised by his club.

Actually I though club membership comes with 3rd party insurance. I looked up my local club and they have it in place for members, this one (Muswell Hill Peloton club) doesn't make it clear on their website if they do or not.

My club doesn’t have 3rd party insurance they do however recommend you take it out.

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

Ah, there was a central island/reservation for pedestrians, there was me thinking for a moment that passing slow/stopped traffic on my side of the road by riding on the other side was just called overtaking!

 

[T4tomo]

Yeah I watched a video a while back - dash cam youtube channel - of a car that overtook another on the wrong side of an island and plowed down a pedestrian. I've got experience of it myself where I have been cycling past an island and cars have overtaken on the wrong side.



The ride was organised by his club.

Actually I though club membership comes with 3rd party insurance. I looked up my local club and they have it in place for members, this one (Muswell Hill Peloton club) doesn't make it clear on their website if they do or not.

Same club who hit Hilda Griffiths who later died from her injuries. No charges brought on that one.

 

[T4tomo]

Ah, there was a central island/reservation for pedestrians, there was me thinking for a moment that passing slow/stopped traffic on my side of the road by riding on the other side was just called overtaking!

Indeed, she'd have been looking "the other way" for traffic /cyclists obeying the rules of the road and then, wham, he would hit her from her blind side.

Cyclist appears to have got off lightly.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Same club who hit Hilda Griffiths who later died from her injuries. No charges brought on that one.

I didn't realise it was the same club, they do link the article in the one I put above and the original article does name the same club. But this one doesn't mention its the same club both times.

Someone should be stepping in and looking at how they organise their rides and what advice they give their members. Their website mentions that [Muswell Hill Peloton club] is affiliated to British Cycling, maybe they should be stepping in?

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I didn't realise it was the same club, they do link the article in the one I put above and the original article does name the same club. But this one doesn't mention its the same club both times.

Someone should be stepping in and looking at how they organise their rides and what advice they give their members. Their website mentions that [Muswell Hill Peloton club] is affiliated to British Cycling, maybe they should be stepping in?

would the affiliation for BC not include some 3rd party insurance on club rides??

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

"I have little doubt his bike cost way more than the £500 fine he has received for the offence. But, the fact this man is a cyclist without insurance means he has got away with it. Solicitors are not prepared to fight such cases for victims because cyclists do not have insurance."

That statement by the victim makes no sense to me, if rider didn't have any insurance, the rider has to find the funds themselves if found guilty of an offence.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

"I have little doubt his bike cost way more than the £500 fine he has received for the offence. But, the fact this man is a cyclist without insurance means he has got away with it. Solicitors are not prepared to fight such cases for victims because cyclists do not have insurance."

That statement by the victim makes no sense to me, if rider didn't have any insurance, the rider has to find the funds themselves if found guilty of an offence.

I presume the solicitor is thinking that payment would come from the rider

and if the rider doesn;t have the funds them he might not get paid

which is morally wrong
but how many of us would have done our job for nothing for several days (or more) if it helped someone else who was morally in the right?