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news
Batts Road, Essex (via StreetView).jpgMotorist allegedly drove through barriers at Essex race forcing riders to crash into ditch
Police are investigating an incident at a Maldon and District Cycling Club event when a motorist is said to have ignored safety barriers and driven towards a group of oncoming cyclists, causing them to crash.
The Maldon Road Races took place on Sunday October 2, near Steeple.
The Maldon and Burnham Standard reports that as the first few riders were finishing, a car burst through the safety barriers at the line and drove up the course towards them. The cyclists were reportedly forced off the road and into a ditch.
John Perrot, whose son was participating, was one of the spectators. He said it looked like the driver was ‘out of control’.
“He was coming along Batts Road and we were watching my lad finish. No cars are allowed until the race has finished, which is five minutes maximum by this point. This gentleman drove through the safety barriers and drove at the finish line at speed.”
Perrot said that the driver’s actions caused a number of riders to fall, but despite this the car continued towards the next group.
“About six lads came off their bikes and crashed into a ditch. Fortunately all the lads that did fall out the way managed to avoid any contact with the car. The driver did not stop. He raced through the finish line towards the second group of riders who were coming down towards the end.
“He just drove at them and we thought he was going to kill someone. He stopped at the last minute. It is the arrogance of the guy that angers me. He put people’s lives in serious danger because he couldn’t be bothered to wait a couple of minutes.”
Maldon and District Cycling Club confirmed the incident took place but said it wouldn’t comment further while a police investigation is underway.
A spokesman for Essex Police said: “Officers were called just after 12.15pm on Sunday, October 2 to reports a white Audi was in a collision with a number of cyclists who were taking part in a bike race on Batts Road. A number of bicycles were damaged and once cyclist suffered minor injuries. The car failed to stop.”
Anyone with information can contact Essex Police on 101.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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33 comments
I don't know if this was ever updated, but the driver later handed himself in…
https://www.maldonandburnhamstandard.co.uk/news/15382275.video-chilling-...
Good result, tho' usual oddly short disqualification.
As an audi driver and cyclist. I am far more concerned about getting a bad name from people driving their audis into houses than cyclists riding a cross tower bridge.
OMG! Theres a cat and a group of pigeons! Ruuuuuuuun!
https://aseasyasridingabike.wordpress.com/2015/12/26/audis-in-houses/
clearly it's the houses fault for not have hi viz and a helmet.
To add and extend the purile stereotyping of Audi drivers and crystallise my personal experience from years on the road and my commuting experience in particular...The worst groups, by percentage of times I have genuinely felt my life to be in danger due to their proximity or actions are as follows:
Private hire taxis (all vehicles)
Mid-low end "prestige" marques
Elderly people in small cheap cars
The " General lack of consideration for other road users" award goes to...
Mid-low end "prestige" marques.
Audi/BMW/Mercedes eg Audi A1-A4, BMW 1-3 series etc.
Obviously, not every driver of these vehicle types is a complete cockwomble or twatwaffle but there are definite spikes in these groups according to my internal statistical analysis engine.
Audis in houses
https://aseasyasridingabike.wordpress.com/2015/12/26/audis-in-houses/
The Sound of Music parody made me laugh out loud.
When I get a dangerous close pass 9 out of 10 times it's got a "help for hero's" sticker in the back window, their my most hated sub class driver.
Audis/BMWs/Mercs around my way, along with 4x4/pickups (rural bog land - I refer to them as bogtrotters) are my main nemeses...except for the jap car lasses - they are the worst.
...there are also a few 'dump valve' dumbasses that like to dump as they pass, guess they've not mastered the basics of gear change quite right...
The only head on confrontation I've had was a Tesco delivery van(ette)...he just wasn't going to wait and the road was only about 9 feet wide, he'd just passed a place where he could have waited.
Tesco store were not that interested in investigating.
Regarding Audis, when noticing dumb overtaking Audis do seem to feature rather a lot considering how relatively few they are on the road.
As for
" Seems we object to all cyclists being classed as a group but are happy to do the same to the drivers of a certain make of car."
There is a difference, cars are marketed in a certain way and target specific types of people. Aggressive drivers used to be tempted by BMW ads, now they seem to buy Audis. One of my best mates had an Audi for many years and certainly liked to drive it in quite an aggressive and at times dangerous manner and gets very wound up by speed cameras and speed bumps in residential 20mph zones.
Ageed to apopint but I think that the change in preferred cars was when a lot on company car users moved from BMW's to Audi's were rep's who found that when Beemers went over the £20K tax limit, Audi's were the ideal replacement and that as these cars afound their way in to the 2nd hand car market younger drivers snapped them up as they were usually quite cheap due to having a high milage. Personally I find that BMW 1 series cars are starting to take the Audi's place in the company car market & these are becoming more agressively driven of the 2 makes.
Unfortunately I was one of the six. The Audi was stationary with us stationary facing it, he drove through us. He was mad at being held up by the road race that finished 100m further up the road.
Did you guys get his reg? Glad you're alright, what a nutjob..
As its not stated in the article, what legal authority was there to close the road? Were AMS marshals being used or was it just 'red flags'?
No doubt the sun was in his eyes, or he was on his mobile. Whatever.
If he's caught, his wrists will be sore for several minutes.
WillRod, loving Audiot.
And Ramuz, good point well made.
I occasionally get drivers refusing to either slow down or stop on singletrack roads. Tends to be people not used to the countryside. (London number plates are a giveaway). I have never been forced off like these "lads" but it has been close. You don't need to be racing, you don't have to block the roads with barriers , you just have to be "in their way".
I normally block the road by cycling down the middle until they slow down, but it seems this Audiot wasn't going to stop.
I hope they are caught and charged with dangerous driving. I won't hold my breath though. They will probably get away with it, or it won't be 'in the public interest'
what's a London number plate? Living in London i didn't know i was special. How do i get one?
All number plates since 2001 begin with a two letter code. LA through to LZ are from London although some R* and E* are from London
Of course you can buy a car from another area, I live in East Anglia (A_ plates) but drive a CV plate car from Wales.
The popularity of Suffolk over the last 10-20 years has meant people nip up the A12 from London but aren't used to narrow lanes and tractors.
simply buy a car from a london motor dealer who will register it at the London DVLA and will be ill have an Lx 66 xxx number plate.
Half of the reason to changing the number plate format was that the plates would be more memorable for being tied to a geographic location. Seems it hasn't worked.
All the hallmarks of the Nice attacks. I assume it will be treated with the same severity?
The term "lads" is used, does this mean young men, or young children?
Men, of any age.
Yes, an £80 fine for each cyclist for obstructing the Audi's way.
The Police can't say any more. They are too busy.
I'm pretty sure this should really be quite a serious offence. No doubt an £80 fine will sort matters out.
A white Audi in Essex, say no more...
Oh, Essex, say no more...
Let me stop you there. I live close to Maldon and have been cycling in the area for a long time.
I can think of maybe two close pass incidents this year so far, but those aside I give and receive a great deal of courtesy and consideration when I'm out and about. Drivers do wait and when passing leave plenty of space, likewise if the roads narrow and I can get out of the way I'll do so, becasue I firmly believe in getting back what you give out.
There are idiots everywhere, not just in Essex. Having said all this I hope the drivr concerned has his car crushed.
I think you know the Essex that we're making fun of is the A13 driver, where every single vehicle is trying to activate its flux capacitor. I lived in Essex for years, I have absolutely no problem with anyone taking the piss out of it!
an Audi...say no more
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