Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

news

Motorist who stopped to help cyclist is deliberately rammed by another driver

Police seek witnesses to incident in somerset yesterday involving Volkswagen Golf

A motorist who stopped to help a cyclist who had been forced off the road was left seriously bruised when the driver of the vehicle involved in that incident deliberately drove into him.

Avon & Somerset Constabulary say that yesterday morning at around 10.20am, a black Volkswagen Golf was being driven “erratically and at speed” on Barrington Hill near Ilminster when the driver “overtook a cyclist in an aggressive manner,” with the rider having to veer to the side of the road.

According to police, when the driver of a Renault Scenic stopped to check that the cyclist was okay, the man at the wheel of the Golf turned his vehicle around, and shouted abuse at the other motorist before revving his engine and driving into him. He then drove off towards Horton.

The 51-year-old male victim was tossed into the air by the impact and suffered serious bruising and was left in shock. Paramedics who treated him at the scene said he was lucky not to have sustained more serious injuries.

Police have begun an investigation and have asked witnesses to contact them, including anyone who saw a Volkswagen Golf being driven erratically in the area yesterday morning. Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting log 430 of 21/06/14.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

Add new comment

18 comments

Avatar
yenrod | 9 years ago
0 likes

This just goes to show what maniacs are on the road today...i'm even at times checking over my shoulder upon passing junctions in case any drivers decide 'not to see me'... #nevertrustanyDRIVERontheroad !

Avatar
SideBurn | 9 years ago
0 likes

Is it actually worth trying to find him when he will only get a £10 fine?

Avatar
SteppenHerring | 9 years ago
0 likes

I am no legal or psychological expert, but it would appear that what we are dealing with here is a cunt.

Avatar
jason.timothy.jones replied to SteppenHerring | 9 years ago
0 likes
SteppenHerring wrote:

I am no legal or psychological expert, but it would appear that what we are dealing with here is a cunt.

I am a psychological expert, this person is know in medical and legal terms as an ANKLE (3 foot lower than a cunt)

Avatar
Airzound | 9 years ago
0 likes

Car was likely stolen, so unlikely to be able to trace the driver. Case closed.

Avatar
Neill_M | 9 years ago
0 likes

Same thing happened in Leicestershire, a silver BMW running cyclist of the road at speed, no charges due to insufficient evidence.

Avatar
gb901 | 9 years ago
0 likes

Truly shocking - there are some complete morons at the wheel on our roads today!

Avatar
kie7077 | 9 years ago
0 likes

I think driving tests need to be re-taken once a decade, to remind drivers that they don't have some god-given right to the roads because they pay 'road tax'.

And abolish VED, stick a few more pence on fuel, VED just gives drivers the wrong idea, half of them still think it's 'road tax'.

And refund the VAT on the 1st £1000 of any bike.

Avatar
racyrich | 9 years ago
0 likes

Call 101. In other words we don't care there's a homicidal maniac on the loose. Contrast with how this would be treated if a gun had been used.

Avatar
jacknorell replied to racyrich | 9 years ago
0 likes
racyrich wrote:

Call 101. In other words we don't care there's a homicidal maniac on the loose. Contrast with how this would be treated if a gun had been used.

Eh, what else would you call for a non-urgent chat with the local police? Or do you think the same driver is still out there today running people over?

999 is for RIGHT-NOW emergencies only.

Avatar
KiwiMike replied to jacknorell | 9 years ago
0 likes
jacknorell wrote:
racyrich wrote:

Call 101. In other words we don't care there's a homicidal maniac on the loose. Contrast with how this would be treated if a gun had been used.

Eh, what else would you call for a non-urgent chat with the local police? Or do you think the same driver is still out there today running people over?

999 is for RIGHT-NOW emergencies only.

You would expect a dedicated officer assigned to multiple attempted GBH with a weapon, no?

Avatar
jacknorell replied to KiwiMike | 9 years ago
0 likes
KiwiMike wrote:
jacknorell wrote:
racyrich wrote:

Call 101. In other words we don't care there's a homicidal maniac on the loose. Contrast with how this would be treated if a gun had been used.

Eh, what else would you call for a non-urgent chat with the local police? Or do you think the same driver is still out there today running people over?

999 is for RIGHT-NOW emergencies only.

You would expect a dedicated officer assigned to multiple attempted GBH with a weapon, no?

Silly me, I thought the log file number was the ensure the right person gets the information...

I mean, it's not like it was on a weekend or anything and the statement didn't go out quickly the next morning. There's been so many case assignment opportunities with the detectives during the intermediate time.

Avatar
Mart | 9 years ago
0 likes

Attempted manslaughter x 2?
I hope they find them and charge them to the full weight of the law with a life ban, and not some half ar$d minor motoring offence.

hope all have a speedy recovery.

Avatar
Das replied to Mart | 9 years ago
0 likes
Mart wrote:

Attempted manslaughter x 2?
I hope they find them and charge them to the full weight of the law with a life ban, and not some half ar$d minor motoring offence.

If only. Will no doubt be thrown out due to insufficient evidence!!

Avatar
TedC replied to Mart | 9 years ago
0 likes
Mart wrote:

Attempted manslaughter x 2?
I hope they find them and charge them to the full weight of the law with a life ban, and not some half ar$d minor motoring offence.

hope all have a speedy recovery.

Second the thoughts to the victims.

Not sure how you can have "attempted manslaughter" - either you tried to kill them or you didn't, but ignoring that, a minimum of one count of dangerous driving and one of attempted murder.

Avatar
Aapje replied to TedC | 9 years ago
0 likes
TedC wrote:

Not sure how you can have "attempted manslaughter" - either you tried to kill them or you didn't.

The difference between murder and manslaughter is often a matter of intent. A road rager can do something that may very well kill someone, but the intent was to hurt the other party. There was no calculated plan to murder, just rage. So that makes it manslaughter.

I just hope they actually charge him for that. Given the fact that a motorist was attacked, rather than a cyclist, that should improve the change he actually gets charged. After all, a motorist is a real person...in the courts.

Avatar
Simon_MacMichael replied to Aapje | 9 years ago
0 likes
Aapje wrote:

The difference between murder and manslaughter is often a matter of intent. A road rager can do something that may very well kill someone, but the intent was to hurt the other party. There was no calculated plan to murder, just rage. So that makes it manslaughter.

No it doesn't. Intention to cause GBH (rather than specific intention to kill) can be enough to convict on a charge of murder, and often is.

See R. v Cunningham [1982] AC 566

Transcript here: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKHL/1981/5.html

Avatar
oldstrath replied to Aapje | 9 years ago
0 likes
Aapje wrote:
TedC wrote:

Not sure how you can have "attempted manslaughter" - either you tried to kill them or you didn't.

The difference between murder and manslaughter is often a matter of intent. A road rager can do something that may very well kill someone, but the intent was to hurt the other party. There was no calculated plan to murder, just rage. So that makes it manslaughter.

I just hope they actually charge him for that. Given the fact that a motorist was attacked, rather than a cyclist, that should improve the change he actually gets charged. After all, a motorist is a real person...in the courts.

Have to say that this distinction baffles me - the 'there was no intent to seriously harm' nonsense. Sorry, but how can anyone who is remotely fit to be out alone not understand that chucking a tonne of metal into an unprotected human will hurt them? So either they are so crap at car control that they hit people unintentionally, or they intend to do them serious harm. Either way, they should never be driving again, and probably should be locked up.

Latest Comments