Obviously less common than being killed by a motor vehicle, and is the first case that I can remember reading about (although I am sure there are others).
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8577612.stm
I see that the initial charge is involuntary manslaughter. Presumably causing death by dangerous or careless driving doesn't apply to cyclists. If I recall correctly, the maximum sentence for CDDD is 14 years and manslaughter is 15 years, so they carry roughly the same potential weight in terms of sentencing (which perhaps raises the question of why you need the dangerous and careless driving charges rather than, as in manslaughter cases, the sentence can be decided upon the facts of the case).
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...Presumably causing death by dangerous or careless driving doesn't apply to cyclists...
Yes, the wording of the death by dangerous and death by careless charge includes "...that you drove a mechanically propelled vehicle, namely a..."
So that excludes pedal cycles but includes motorcycles.
It looks like the court will have to decide if the manner of the cycling was 'reckless or negligent' for the charge of involuntary manslaughter to be proved.
And before anyone starts bleating about prejudice, the above statement is not, and the cyclist has not been charged.
If there is a trial in this matter, it will be many months in the future, when a few pars on an internet motoring forum will be long forgotten.
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I'm sure I was once told that a cycle is classified as a vehicle in England and Wales whereas it's an 'aid to walking' in Scotland (like a pram apparently). This is pertinent to drink driving as (at least as described to me) you can't be charged with drink driving on a cycle in Scotland.
Having said all this, firstly what do I know ? and secondly the only relevance is that the cyclist could presumably have been charged with careless driving ?
Finally, as a cyclist I'd contend that cyclists normally come off worst or equally badly in most collisions and so I (and no doubt others) try to ride accordingly.
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There is no charge as yet. The cyclist has been arrested, presumably questioned and then bailed until May.
Like cyclist fatalities it may be that only the event is newsworthy to the national media (even in their local manifestations). There was a cyclist killed by a left turning HGV on my regular commute in September 2008. In spite of keeping m eyes and ears open I could not find out what happened next.
Oh, and you cannot be charged with drink driving on a bike in England. There is a drunk riding charge but not based on blood alcohol and penalty is relatively light, certianly no threat to a driving license.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sat 20 Mar 10 at 18:52
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...There was a cyclist killed by a left turning HGV on my regular commute in September 2008. In spite of keeping m eyes and ears open I could not find out what happened next...
Should have been dealt with by now, although these things routinely take more than a year to reach a conclusion in court.
If you have an exact date and location, the police should be prepared to give you an idea what action they took, although your inquiry may not be welcomed because it might involve someone having to do a bit of leg work on behalf of a law-abiding tax payer.
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if you do a Google search then pedestrians being killed by cyclists is not that rare.
There was quite a hoo-hah over a young lad being killed in Truro by a cyclist riding at some speed on the pavement and the cyclist got a suspended sentence for furious cycling.
Seeing at the case referred to in the OP was someoone crossing the road then it seems unlikely the cyclist would face a serious charge. Surprising that he stopped at the scene - it seems even most cars fail to stop these days.
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Years ago my elderly neighbour was walking out of her front gate and she was knocked down by a cyclist who was cycling on the pavement. Her hip was broken in the collision. Gangrene set in and she eventually died of her injuries. How some people think they are justified in cycling on the pavement I'll never know.
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>> How some people think they are justified in cycling on the pavement I'll never know.
Presumably by only cycling where/when they're not putting pedestrians at risk.
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What has this thread got to do with cycling on the footpath?
From the original link:
"Marian Anderson, 56, from Denmark, was hit while crossing a road"
Around ten people a day are killed on UK roads, are we to blame pavement cyclists for all of them?
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>> What has this thread got to do with cycling on the footpath?
I thought that mentioning my late neighbour was appropriate because she was a pedestrian killed by a cyclist and the thread title is "Pedestrian killed by cyclist".
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Pedestrian killed by cyclist - Iffy
