Articulated lorry driver cleared of careless driving after running over and killing Birmingham cyclist

I'll caveat this with the fact that we've not heard all the evidence. But there are many examples where juries (not Courts remember) return some very odd verdicts. We've seen that recently with the sun in your eyes cases.

It's long been my view that the thing that juries suffer from is the "it could happen to me syndrome." Essentially they view mattes such as this as civil cases taking place in the criminal courts. They don't see it as REALLY criminal. Why? Because it's the sort of thing that might happen to them. And that's scary. They wouldn't like to be in the position of this driver. But they could be.

Most of the time, assaults, paedohillia, burglary, murder, they don't really associate with the act. It's not something that they are capable of doing. They couldn't find themselves doing those things simply by a moment of inattention.

But most of our population drive or have some direct experience of it. They also have experience of that moment where that bit of inattention almost saw them drive over the cat or hit that car coming the other way. Indeed, some times, they don't even register that it was inattention at all.

The consequence of the inattention is irrelevant in their mind. And, actually, the consequence is broadly irrelevant in Court as well (the only purpose of the death is to justify the charge in the first place).

So, we have juries who sit there, listen to a bloke who says he did everything and empathise with that position. Because they've experienced it. They've been there. They wouldn't like to be there if they were him. Poor man, what could he do.

Essentially I'm still pretty fond of the jury system. But I do think in these cases in which there is a societal blurring of boundaries between what is "a bit criminal" and truly criminal acts, they tend to lead to possible wrong decisions.

This is unbelievable. Unfortunately it's not, it's just another example of authority not caring about cyclists and believing that motor vehicles can do no wrong.

Without more details I feel that this should appealed to fuck.
The cycling press should be publicising this case and demanding changes.
RIP sister and condolences to your family and friends.

There are parallels with rape cases here with juries failing to convict because of their own prejudices towards victims. The government is taking steps to increase conviction rates in rape cases. Perhaps we need something similar in cases involving the death or injury of cyclists. As a minimum, judges should give clearer guidance to juries about victim blaming.

This case was at the Crown Court, so presumably with a jury. It's difficult to understand how they could come to this conclusion.

If running over and killing someone by pulling out of a side road, where the victim has right of way, doesn't result in a conviction, what circumstances ever will?

Assuming
1) that the driver is honest and not a lying callous scumbag only interested in himself
2) the jury were sensible people & not stupidly gullible or untouched by a mother being killed.

then it must be that although doing everything correctly, stopping and thoroughly checking all his mirrors before moving off, he not only failed to see a cyclist lit up & under streetlights, but was able to drive over her without feeling or hearing anything.

The only sensible conclusion then is that trucks like that have no place on urban streets and need to be banned.

Or the driver is a lying callous scumbag after all who actually deserves a long jail sentence

If the justice system cannot enforce the law correctly, then that's when people start resorting to vigilante action.

when i first read the head line i was expecting the cyclist to have crept up the side of the truck, got into a blind spot, and tragic though it might be, brought it on herself through naivety. However if i am reading this correctly, she was cycling along doing everything, and far more than legally required, to be seen and keep herself safe.

The driver then pulled out of the side road and hit her.

FFS!

So in a nut shell. Cyclist cycling to work wearing Hi Viz, with front and rear lights is killed by a lorry driver who fails to stop at a junction and kills her, and the courts let the driver off. The Courts really do fucking hate cyclists eh?

“I do not think I could have done anything different when I took the junction.” No? Perhaps you could have not crushed and killed the cyclist with your lorry, just an idea.

It beggars belief, it really does.

And once again justice is served.