2013-11-05 - Rider Down/Fatality, Bloomsbury Way / Southampton Row (London)

Olaf - impossible to say without access to the specific court transcripts but such an assertion would normally be backed up by additional material or tested further in cross-examination.

The driver's evidence was clear that he looked in his mirrors and saw the taxi, then looked again and did not see Francis Golding. Almost all the other witnesses were surprised that Golding appeared not to have seen the coach.
It is unlikely that a jury would convict the driver on that evidence.
The driver of the bus that killed Dorothy Elder at this junction in 2009 was acquitted after the nury heard evidence that her view of the road in front of the bus might have been obstructed by windscreen wipers.

the evidence the driver gave here is absolutely irrelevant in terms of questions of responsibility. it is the responsibility of the driver turning/changing lanes to know where the blind/obscured spots on their vehicle are, and to double-check to ensure there's nothing hidden in them.

you're right, charlie, that at this time a jury probably wouldn't convict - and they'd be wrong. the 'i didn't see him' excuse doesn't hold up. it really means ' i didn't check adequately' when there was clearly someone there....

(and, vitally, lcc should be campaigning on the position 'blind spots are not an excuse for killing people. look twice..', not accepting the status quo..)

the evidence the driver gave here is absolutely irrelevant in terms of questions of responsibility. it is the responsibility of the driver turning/changing lanes to know where the blind/obscured spots on their vehicle are, and to double-check to ensure there's nothing hidden in them.

you're right, charlie, that at this time a jury probably wouldn't convict - and they'd be wrong. the 'i didn't see him' excuse doesn't hold up. it really means ' i didn't check adequately' when there was clearly someone there....
**
(and, vitally, lcc should be campaigning on the position 'blind spots are not an excuse for killing people. look twice..', not accepting the status quo..**)

really good idea for a campaign

The LCC doesn't accept the 'blind spot' excuse. Charlie will elaborate, although I'm not sure that this thread is the right place for it.

quite
https://www.lfgss.com/thread125212.html#post4182698

The inquest appears to be painting a very different picture to the article published in RouteOne magazine 8 days after the collision:
"Architect Francis Golding died in hospital on Friday (8 November) after he cycled into a Scania Century operated by PC Coaches of Lincoln three days earlier. CCTV evidence shows that the coach was indicating and turning left into Southampton Row at 1840hrs, when Mr Golding cycled up the inside, intending to go straight on. The bike had no front light. The coach driver has been exonerated and police praised his actions in the aftermath of the crash".

Wow, journalism doesn't get much worse than that.

Wow, journalism doesn't get much worse than that.

He lost control of the car travelling at 70 mph in a 30mph zone and hit the two cyclists who were on the footpath, both wearing safety helmets.

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/purley-driver-jailed-10-years-7001368