2012-08-19 Rider Down/Fatality, A19 (North Yorkshire)

A 75-year-old cyclist – named locally as Len Grayson – died in a crash with a car while he was taking part in a time trial, North Yorkshire Police confirmed.

Citation 1
Citation 2

Condolences to his family and friends.

RIP cyclist.

RIP Len

75 and doing a TT? What a champion.

A sad loss.

That is unfortunate.

But I think I would rather go out with a bang whilst riding my bike than slowly deteriorate...

RIP OAPTTer.

75 and doing a TT? What a champion.

A sad loss.

That is what I was thinking.

Condolences to the family.

75 and doing a TT? What a champion.
A sad loss.

He'd set an age group record aged 74 with a 22 minute '10'.

RIP Lenny

Driver spared jail

  June 21 (Press Association) -- A driver who killed one of 

England's top veteran cyclists when he ploughed into him during
a road race has been spared jail after a court heard how his
brief lapse of concentration led to a devastating accident that
"could have happened to anybody".

  Leonard Grayson, 75, died instantly when he was hit 

during a 100-mile time trial along the A19 near Thirsk, North
Yorkshire.

  Peter Barraclough admitted causing his death by careless 

driving after he took his eyes off the road for a matter of
seconds when a lorry on the opposite carriageway caught his
attention.

  The judge decided not to jail Barraclough immediately, but gave 

him a five-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and
ordered him to do 250 hours of unpaid work.

  He also banned him from driving for 18 months.

fucking disgusting

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jun/21/veteran-cyclist-leonard-grayson

RIP TTer I hope I can keep riding into my 70's.

Edit: Discussion section shifted to "In the news".

Except in this case it wasn't speeding nor was he on a mobile. He was looking at a truck that had got his attention. How are you supposed to cater for people that take their eyes off the road at 70mph to have a look at a truck?

Will jailing this guy do anything to prevent other people from 'looking at stuff'?

I don't know. It's a sad story once more. RIP Mr Grayson.

I only pasted an exceprt from what is a pretty long PA story. Hippy's link is a longer version of the same story, but still not all of it. The full version includes this from the judge:

  He told Barraclough, who has no criminal history: "You're intelligent, decent and, from the reports and evidence I have seen, an outstanding young man.
  But he added: "Your driving did, in my judgment, fall substantially below what was acceptable."

  I don't know how to square `substanially below' acceptable levels with the sentence, but I agree with Hippy. RIP Mr Grayson.

Whilst I agree that jailing this driver is unlikely to make a difference to how he will drive in future, it remains that the message the sentence sends out is that killing a cyclist is nothing more than an inconvenience to a driver so long as they really didn't mean to do it.

The comments of the defending barrister are what really gets me though. "There but for the grace of God go I....the sort of accident that can happen to anybody" legitimises killing cyclists as just one of those things that happens nobody, not even the guy who took his eyes off the road for 9 seconds at 70mph is to blame.

Longer rant here http://icycleliverpool.co.uk/2013/06/21/its-friday/

The driver admitted Death by Dangerous driving.
And he got 250 hours community service, an 18 month ban and a suspended sentence.
That is absolutely outrageous.
RIP Mr Grayson, so sorry your life as a champion was valued so cheaply by that judge.

Whilst I agree that jailing this driver is unlikely to make a difference to how he will drive in future, it remains that the message the sentence sends out is that killing a cyclist is nothing more than an inconvenience to a driver so long as they really didn't mean to do it.

The comments of the defending barrister are what really gets me though. "There but for the grace of God go I....the sort of accident that can happen to anybody" legitimises killing cyclists as just one of those things that happens nobody, not even the guy who took his eyes off the road for 9 seconds at 70mph is to blame.

Longer rant here http://icycleliverpool.co.uk/2013/06/21/its-friday/

LoveloBicycles, you are so right. This sort of attitude makes my blood boil. There was a similar one to this a while back (cant remember the names now) where a speeding driver who admitted dangerous driving was overtaking a cyclist while there was oncoming traffic, realised he couldnt fit through the gap so killed the cyclist. The judge said the driver had no case to answer as it was just bad luck that the cyclist happened to be in that spot at that time! WTF!

RIP Mr Grayson, champion.