Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Accidental death verdict in case of Retford teenager hit by lorry

Listening to headphones and assumptions of lorry driver described as being a fatal combination

The inquest into the death of 15-year-old Callum Wilkinson has ruled that his failure to check before re-entering the carriageway combined with a lorry driver’s assumptions about his direction of travel to cause the fatal collision.

The Retford Times reports that Wilkinson was hit by an 18-tonne lorry driven by Sally Howson while cycling to school along London Road in Retford on June 28 last year. Recording a conclusion of accidental death, Assistant Deputy Coroner of Nottinghamshire, Maria Mulrennan, explained:

“The collision appears to have been a tragic combination of Miss Howson’s assumption as to Callum’s direction of travel, together with an apparent failure on Callum’s part to check before re-entering the carriageway onto South Street.

“I note that Callum usually cycled whilst listening to music. And it would appear from the evidence that he was doing so at the time of the collision. Whether he was distracted or unaware of the approach of Miss Howson’s vehicle is unclear.”

Howson – who was acquitted of causing Callum’s death by careless driving in July – described how she had seen Wilkinson in the cycle lane as she approached the junction with South Street and that she had then seen him mount the pavement.

Wilkinson’s aunt, Tracey Stoddard, with whom he was living at the time, explained that he would often do this in anticipation of the busy entrance to the Esso garage ahead and because the cycle lane ends just after the South Street junction. She said he had nearly been knocked off when passing the garage on a number of occasions.

Howson mistakenly assumed that Wilkinson was turning left because of how he had angled his bike in that direction, but it seems he was merely aiming for a drop-down kerb to cross South Street and was continuing straight on. Howson had lost sight of him at this point and then the collision happened. Questioned as to why she didn’t check where he was, Howson explained that the Mercedes lorry she was driving had a number of blind spots

Wilkinson’s friends and former teachers at Elizabethan Academy have launched the CAL (Cycle Awareness Logic) campaign to promote cycling safety in his memory. It has received support from local councillor, Ian Campbell, who himself has successfully lobbied for cycle lanes and drop-down kerbs at the nearby Hallcroft roundabout.

"I was honoured to be asked to help Callum's school friends start a campaign to remember him by helping others through cycling safety. It's all well and good a council or a politician starting a campaign, but a campaign run by young people for young people has a much greater impact.

"It comes at a time that the county council has made some significant changes to the routes into the school, notably Hallcroft roundabout. These changes alone aren't enough and that's why the campaign is needed.”

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.

Add new comment

25 comments

Avatar
Sam Walker | 9 years ago
0 likes

The Retford Times strongly suggests that Callum wasn't paying attention because he was listening to music, despite the fact that the assistant coroner said this was unclear. Given that cyclists who wear earphones are constantly assumed to be distracted, it's not unreasonable to ask the same about the driver.

Avatar
factor41 replied to Sam Walker | 9 years ago
0 likes
Sam Walker wrote:

The Retford Times strongly suggests that Callum wasn't paying attention because he was listening to music, despite the fact that the assistant coroner said this was unclear. Given that cyclists who wear earphones are constantly assumed to be distracted, it's not unreasonable to ask the same about the driver.

I think there's an important distinction to be made between being distracted and being unaware. If you're cycling and have to move out in the road to avoid a pothole etc, not being aware that a ruddy great lorry (or a normal sized car, for that matter) is just about to overtake you can easily be the difference between life and death.

The comparisons with drivers having the radio on is nonsense because driving along a road, a car driver has good all-round vision so will see the other vehicle approaching in their mirrors. It is also unlikely that a lorry is going to try and overtake a slower-moving vehicle other than a bike, without moving entirely into a different lane.

Avatar
ron611087 | 9 years ago
0 likes

Cases like this are hard to judge because the only evidence is that of the driver. Although I don't use earphones myself I get wound up when they are assumed to be contributory in the incident. Correlation does not equal causation. If it did then the wearing of shoes would be more causal because more cyclists involved in incidents are wearing shoes than using earphones.

Avatar
Kim | 9 years ago
0 likes

The fact that the he was wearing headphones is a complete red herring, what if he had been deaf? Would he still be blamed for the bad road and vehicle design? What we need is Sustainable Safety (“Duurzaam veilig” in Dutch), not victim blaming.

Avatar
IanW1968 | 9 years ago
0 likes

I would suggest the cause of this death can be seen on the road just after the junction with South St "END" is written in that excuse for a cycle lane.

Callum will have ridden over that many times and without the knowledge we all have to just ignore painted cycle guidance because its more dangerous than just riding on the road knew the painted lane was ending and perhaps feeling under pressure from traffic made the choice to get out of the way early before the junction, then crossing the junction from the pavement unexpectadly into the path of an inattentively driven truck.

Very, very sad and IMO another case of our cycling provision making cycling more not less dangerous.

PS the people making comment about headphones should shut the **** up .

Avatar
antigee | 9 years ago
0 likes

"Here is the scene of the accident on Google Maps.

It is a really odd manoeuvre that Callum made"

Very sad case - but the Coroner should have have invited a cycling expert to comment on the very poor road layout for cyclists and why Callum may have made his fatal mistake -

my take on the manoevre that Callum made is that being a relatively inexperienced cyclist he did what a lot of inexperienced cyclists do when under pressure from vehicles - reverted to the pavement and became in effect a fast moving pedestrian - I'd speculate that did this because he was in a very narrow cycle lane that ended soon AND has a slow moving largish truck waiting to turn left on his tail - my suspicion is that was well aware of holding up the truck but hadn't worked out it was turning left rather than trying to pass and exited the cycle lane early feeling under pressure to allow it to pass
Speculation but think the Coroner needed to walk in Callum's shoes a bit and should have challenged the road layout and made a recommendation that teenagers should get a top up on bikeability at Secondary

Avatar
Russell Orgazoid | 9 years ago
0 likes

Did the driver have their stereo on high volume?

Avatar
badbobb replied to Russell Orgazoid | 9 years ago
0 likes
Plasterer's Radio wrote:

Did the driver have their stereo on high volume?

could be worse,,,,, a headphone wearing driver, cant be any less dangerous then a headphone wearing cyclist or pedestrian?

seems the issue is of cycle path layout or the lack off, and the possibility of poor judgement on both partys?

Avatar
factor41 replied to Russell Orgazoid | 9 years ago
0 likes
Plasterer's Radio wrote:

Did the driver have their stereo on high volume?

That's a nonsense response. Are you suggesting that she would otherwise have been able to hear the approach and position of the bike over the other road noise and sound of her truck if she had the radio off?

If you're cycling on a busy road used by trucks, which by mounting the kerb, you've clearly acknowledged is a dangerous place to ride, why on Earth would you then remove one of your senses from the equation?

Avatar
Paul_C | 9 years ago
0 likes

wow, the Dutch would be looking to prevent this in future by eliminating the conflict, not fscking victim blaming to absolve the real perpertrators of this travesty of typical British cr@pfrastructure...

Avatar
rich22222 | 9 years ago
0 likes

Nothing to do with wearing headphones.
Sounds like he crossed the side road without doing the stop, look bit, listen is irrelevant.
You would hope the driver would have taken more care with a child on a bike alongside a truck she acknowledges has blind spots, but doesn't seem like she in any way caused it.

Avatar
badbobb replied to rich22222 | 9 years ago
0 likes

stop look and listen are all valid, just maybe in the wrong order?

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

Blindspot? What blindspot?

http://mccraw.co.uk/sorry-mate-i-cant-see-blind-spot/

Did you bother reading the long and informative comment from Nick, the cyclist lorry driver? Worth a read, and thinking about it.

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

Blindspot? What blindspot?

http://mccraw.co.uk/sorry-mate-i-cant-see-blind-spot/

Did you bother reading the long and informative comment from Nick, the cyclist lorry driver? Worth a read, and thinking about it.

You missed the point: There are no actual blind spots with proper mirror setup.

Avatar
therevokid | 9 years ago
0 likes

so ... knowing your vehicle has inherent blind spots and that you
had previously seen the cyclist means you take no extra steps
to ensure the cyclist is NOT in a danger zone ???

not how I was taught my hgv .....

Avatar
badbobb replied to therevokid | 9 years ago
0 likes
therevokid wrote:

so ... knowing your vehicle has inherent blind spots and that you
had previously seen the cyclist means you take no extra steps
to ensure the cyclist is NOT in a danger zone ???

not how I was taught my hgv .....

so ... knowing your headphones can block sounds around you, and be a danger to you and others

had previously seen the lorry means you take no extra steps
to ensure you can hear traffic around you.

not how i ride a bike ( with headphones)

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

so ... knowing your vehicle has inherent blind spots and that you
had previously seen the cyclist means you take no extra steps
to ensure the cyclist is NOT in a danger zone ???

not how I was taught my hgv .....

so ... knowing your headphones can block sounds around you, and be a danger to you and others

had previously seen the lorry means you take no extra steps
to ensure you can hear traffic around you.

not how i ride a bike ( with headphones)

Always refreshing to see victim blaming from cyclists...

Avatar
cat1commuter | 9 years ago
0 likes

Here is the scene of the accident on Google Maps.

It is a really odd manoeuvre that Callum made, to ride along the pavement there. The fatal thing was to cross the mouth of South Street without looking over his shoulder. He clearly felt safer cycling past the ESSO garage on the pavement, but I don't see why.

The road is probably horrible to cycle along when the traffic is busy. The on road cycle lanes are typically rubbish. Guidelines are for them to be 2 m wide, or 1.5 m minimum. If the cycle lane was not there, bike training would teach you to "take the lane" and ride further out.

I don't understand how the lorry driver could have seen him angle his bike as if he was going down South Street, and also claim that she couldn't see him because of the blind spots her lorry had.

Avatar
Housecathst | 9 years ago
0 likes

I don't know about other people, but I can't tell the difference between the sound of a lorry about to pass me 3 inches from my elbow(like normal) or one that going to drive over the top of me.

I be interested to know who's evidence it was that he didn't check over his shoulder before rejoined the road, in wonder if it was the driver of the lorry. Not to suggest that she would have a vested interest in that being what happened or anything like that!

Avatar
cat1commuter replied to Housecathst | 9 years ago
0 likes
Housecathst wrote:

I be interested to know who's evidence it was that he didn't check over his shoulder before rejoined the road, in wonder if it was the driver of the lorry. Not to suggest that she would have a vested interest in that being what happened or anything like that!

No, not the lorry driver's evidence. Read the linked Retford Times article. It has more detail.

Avatar
badbobb | 9 years ago
0 likes

headphones , maybe did not help ?

feel sorry for the family and the driver

Avatar
IanW1968 | 9 years ago
0 likes

I read the poor design of the truck and the on/off pavement cycling routes favoured in the UK contributed to this collision.

Avatar
IanW1968 | 9 years ago
0 likes

I read the poor design of the truck and the on/off pavement cycling routes favoured in the UK contributed to this collision.

Avatar
Joselito | 9 years ago
0 likes

“The collision appears to have been a tragic combination of Miss Howson’s assumption as to Callum’s direction of travel, together with an apparent failure on Callum’s part to check before re-entering the carriageway onto South Street.

Condolences to Callum's family and (in this case) sympathy to the driver.

But why no mention poor infrastucture that enabled this to happen?

Not familiar with the scene but it sounds similar to a shared use path on Princess Parkway in Manchester that drops from the pavement on to the carriageway at bus stops and a garage forecourt.

What a waste of a young life.

Latest Comments