Environment

UK: Cyclist kills pedestrian jailed for just 7 months

by Beaulieu | August 12, 2009 at 11:55 pm

951 views | 6 Recommendations | 3 comments

The family of a Dorset pensioner who died after being knocked down by a speeding cyclist has urged bike-riders to stay off the pavement or "face the consequences of their actions".

Darren Hall, a 20-year-old supermarket worker, was jailed for seven months at Dorchester Crown Court yesterday for the obscure 19th century offence of "wanton and furious driving".

Witnesses said that Hall had been riding like a “like a bat out of hell” as he came down a hill in Weymouth, Dorset, and jumped on to a pavement to avoid a red traffic light on the evening of August 8 last year.

As he went round a blind bend, he saw Ronald Turner, 84, but was travelling too quickly to take evasive action. He knocked Mr Turnover over, causing him to fall into the road and suffer head injuries.

Source: www.times.co.uk

Time and time again people who kill pedestrians get a soft 'slap on the wrist' sentence, so they can be out in no time at all. Not only that, but the 'vehicle', that is, the bicycle he was using at the time, wasn't crushed or confiscated. He was banned from driving but it is not clear whether it is banned from cycling or driving a car as well.

As a cyclist, myself, it is commonsense to look out for people and avoid cycling on pavements. However, often roads have no cycle paths and if they do, they are often unsafe as they are too narrow or too short and are often on very busy roads.

If cyclists have safer off road cycle paths it would be much better although there is no excuse for 'driving furiously' if there are pedestrians about. Even if he had stopped at the traffic lights, many cyclists have been killed at these as motorists fail to stop and slow down. Some traffic lights have cycle paths by the traffic lights which avoids traffic light accidents.

In the UK, cyclists are not 'fully educated', as the cycling proficiency test is not even compulsory, They rely on the Highway Code but, of course, not everyone reads it. Perhaps the British Government, in an effort to down on accidents, should push for a cycling test for everyone who wants to cycle on the road. It is a skill, after all.

The vast majority of pedestrians, however, are killed by motorists and many motorists regularly drive on the pavement too with impunity.

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nagba

at 01:28 on August 13th, 2009

well... i know an irish who killed 2 children due to speeding, fled from Hungary, been convicted in Hungary, but the irish government is not only unwilling to hand him out but not even having him spend the alloted time in jail in his own country.

Beaulieu

at 03:49 on August 13th, 2009

Thanks for your comment, Nagba. I am just not surprised. Road deaths are treated as a minor problem compared to rape, murders and manslaughter. A death is a death, all deaths are devastating. Theft is also another thing which can be treated more seriously - sometimes that is.

sarah james (not verified)

at 06:36 on August 23rd, 2009

Firstly the article above is not right!!! Darren did not mount the pavement to dodge a red light but was pushed on to the pavement by an inconsidarate driver in a red car. Mr Turner was not struck by darren but was startled, he was not riding "like a bat out of hell" as a witness has said, if anyone could ride down that hill and be going that fast an get round that corner without going straight in to the road ahead well ill shake there hand. Darren was a hard working young man with a young child an fiancee to take care of, not a dole bludger like some young people today. Now he will be coming out to no job and not a lot on offer to him due to having a criminal record. Nobody thinks he should have got away with it BUT maybe if they have given him community sevice prehaps made him go round schools and tell them about the dangers of cycling on pavements. And prehaps the councils should look in to better cycle paths for the cyclists, and drivers should pay more attention to them on the road. Darren will have the guilt with him for the rest of his life and now a criminal record what could stop him from joining the army like he was looking in to before all this had happened.