2012-12-17 - Rider Down/Fatality, Southampton (Hampshire)

Southampton flyover crash cyclist killed
A cyclist has been killed in a crash involving a number of other vehicles in Southampton.

The man was riding along the flyover at Mountbatten Way when the collision took place at about 08:45 GMT. He died at the scene.

Two drivers were arrested and are being questioned by police. Further details on them will be released later.

The cyclist was wearing a bright orange fluorescent jacket, with officers appealing for witnesses.

Mountbatten Way was closed in both directions following the crash but has since reopened.

Citation 1
Citation 2

As always, my condolences to the rider's Family and friends.

What a total nightmare for his family... He must have been an incredibly skilled and experienced cyclist to have survived until the age of 48.

RIP poor cyclist... My sincere condolences to his family. I have written to my MP re the validity of juries comprising solely of motorists. This is assuming this poor man's death is even deemed worthy of a court case.

Terrible... RIP

I just saw this on the news, and headed here to report it. What a dreadful thing, and this close to Christmas just makes it so much worse.

This guy lives at the top of my street. He leaves a wife and two teenaged daughters.

Condolences from Portsmouth.

You know I've just been watching the news aboiut.hillsborough, the business with law there. Everyone, strict liability for motorists surely must be the only way individuals are brought to bear responsibility for all these deaths.
R.I.P.
Again.

His poor wife, his poor poor daughters just a few days before Christmas, so sorry, so sad.

His poor wife, his poor poor daughters just a few days before Christmas, so sorry, so sad.

+1
And the rest of his family. RIP.

just awful. thoughts with the family.

good luck on your travels everyone

I know this was a few weeks ago now, but I wanted to update this thread with the following link, as it adds a name and face to what otherwise might be just another tragic accident report, and because I used to work with him. RIP David.

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/10126424.Tribute_to_Wimborne_cyclist_killed_in_Southampton_crash/

Sad news... R.I.P.

thoughts and prayers for david, his family and friends.

Thanks Deej. Best wishes to all who knew David.

RIP rider. Driver charged with causing death by driving without due care and attention and is due before magistrates in Southampton on June 7, the BBC reported today.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22338547

David "fatally injured by wing mirror"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25816281

Driver denies driving without due care and attention despite hearing and seeing his wing mirror slam against the side of his minibus but didn't know what he had hit. I would say that was a clear admission of a lack of care and attention. He thought he hit a bustop sign.

With a minibus wing mirror? To hit a bus stop you'd have to be driving on the payment, and from memory bus stop signs are high up, far higher that the four or five feet a wing mirror might be off the ground. The guys doesn't stop despite having a violent collision with something. I've whacked my wing mirror: you pull over and stop and check the damage.

And ultimately how close would you have to be to a cyclist to hit them in the head with a wing mirror. Minibus mirrors don't protrude hugely from the vehicle, the head of the cyclist will be over the centre of the bike, with handlebars protruding at least 20-30 cms either side of the bike. To be over taking something on the road without seeing them, and to be close enough to a cyclist to hit them them with a wing mirror with sufficient force to kill someone, so presumably moving pretty fast, and claim you were driving with due care and attention?

It makes my fucking blood boil, it's like referring to a cyclist like an insect on your wing mirror, or a rabbit under the wheel, just utterly inconsequential. I hope he gets the book thrown at him: fatal injury, didn't see anything, left the scene of an accident, custodial sentence surely.

No doubt a suspended sentence, small fine and short license ban then.

It's the old "low sun blinded me" dodge being claimed as an excuse as well.
It's time some magistrate comprehensively threw the book at motorists using this tactic. If you can't see, you slow right down or (better yet), pull over, clean the damned windscreen and proceed with extreme caution.

Driver cleared

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-25949342

sickening outcome :(

Not guilty? What has become of our justice system?

The police gave evidence about the possibility of low sun affecting the driver's view

..... it may have made it difficult for drivers to see when they came over the brow of the hill but said Petterson took at least 17 seconds from joining the road from Waterhouse Lane to the crash site and should have spotted other vehicles ahead moving out to overtake the cyclist.
Daily Echo
They also said that David's rucksack might have obscured view of his bright orange fluoro jacket. (But not his bike light or flashing ankle bands). It seems the cross examination built up enough doubt in the jury's minds that they had to let the driver go free.

Another cyclist was killed on the same road in 2007. The driver was sentenced to four years jail and banned from driving for texting at the wheel.

how many of those jury members had clean licenses i wonder?

An insightful analysis of the verdict by Martin Porter:

http://thecyclingsilk.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/recent-cases.html

Has just made my blood boil, and leaves me with the chill fear that it does not matter what we do, motorists are allowed to run down cyclists with impunity.