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Updated: Norwich Police seek driver who tweeted about collision with cyclist

"He doesn't pay road tax" so presumably deserves to be hit...

Norwich Police are today seeking a motorist who tweeted yesterday about knocking a cyclist off their bike. The driver, Emma Way, said of the collision, "Definitely knocked a cyclist off earlier - I have right of way he doesn't even pay road tax" and signed off with the hashtag #bloodycyclists.

The tweet was quickly picked up by various twitter users, some of whom took a screen grab of the offending tweet (including jymdyer whose image we've used at the top). The Police were alerted via the social network, and two hours later Norfolk Police suggested that Ms Way contact them regarding the incident. "we have had tweets ref an RTC with a bike", they explained. "We suggest you report it at a police station ASAP if not done already & then dm us". Since the tweet Ms Way has been identified via her twitter account (which she subsequently deleted) and her facebook profile. Other online posts from Ms Way suggested that she took pictures with her mobile phone while driving and tailgating other vehicles, and she also posted a picture of her car's speedometer showing a speed of 95mph.

The level of ignorance of the law, and the assumption of the right to forcibly remove a cyclist from the road, is pretty shocking. Anyone who follows the Cycle Hatred twitter account will be familiar with this kind of might-is-right mindset, and it's also fairly common for these comments to originate from new drivers, and particularly young women. Whether that's symptomatic of their greater dislike of cyclists of simply down to the demographics of twitter users it's difficult to say.

Obviously there's much for the Police to discuss with Ms Way, should the tweet refer to a genuine incident - which we are reliably informed it does (see update below). For a start you're generally breaking the law by leaving the scene of a road traffic collision without stopping to check if the other party has suffered injury or damage to property. Obviously there's also the right-of-way issue: no road user has any right under law to force another from the road, and to do so is also an offence. As for road tax, most cyclists are only too aware that there's no such thing as road tax and roads are funded from general taxation. Vehicle Excise Duty is paid on vehicle emissions; were cyclists to pay it they'd pay the same rate as other zero-emission vehicles: nothing.

Update: We've spoken to Toby Hockley, the rider involved in the collision, to get a bit of background on the incident. He's pretty sure it was him, anyway. "The police said it was me", he told us, and the time and location fit the bill.

"I was riding on a country B-road with a friend, and descending a hill on a blind right hand corner", Toby told us. "I was sticking to the left as the corner was blind. A car came round in the opposite direction going much too quickly to make the corner safely. It missed the rider in front of me but hit me, my right leg caught the front right wing. I was thrown up onto the bonnet, I hit the side of windsrceen and the wing mirror. I bounced back off the car and went through a hedge for about 20 metres. I managed to keep control of the bike; the back brake had locked on but I managed to rejoin the road and stop in the middle of it"

Amazingly Toby made it through the incident with only minor damage to himself and the bike. "I have a sore elbow, a bruised knee, nettle stings from riding through the hedge, but nothing serious", he told us. "The headset of the bike is loose from the collision, one of the levers got knocked round the bars and there's bits of nettle in the chain, but I think the bike is intact."

"Myself and my friend burst out laughing when we finally came to a stop, more out of shock than anything else", he said. "You count your limbs and carry on".

In response to the incident Ms Way's employers have also made a short statement, both in response to emails from road.cc readers and also in the comments below. "Please be assured that this is not a view held by the firm and we most certainly do not condone this behaviour", they told us. "We are taking the incidents very seriously, and a full and detailed investigation will be carried out and appropriate action taken. We have already spoken to Norfolk Police."

 

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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102 comments

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Doctor Fegg | 11 years ago
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And the Iceni member has posted on Facebook to the effect that he's sure it's her from the photos.

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Ian Fitch | 11 years ago
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I am Ian Fitch,deputy managing partner of Larking Gowen. Regarding the tweets made by one of our employees on their personal twitter account,please be assured that this is not a view held by Larking Gowen and we most certainly do not condone this behaviour. We are taking the incidents very seriously, and a full and detailed investigation will be carried out and appropriate action taken. We have already spoken to Norfolk Police.

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farrell replied to Ian Fitch | 11 years ago
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Ian Fitch wrote:

I am Ian Fitch,deputy managing partner of Larking Gowen. Regarding the tweets made by one of our employees on their personal twitter account,please be assured that this is not a view held by Larking Gowen and we most certainly do not condone this behaviour. We are taking the incidents very seriously, and a full and detailed investigation will be carried out and appropriate action taken. We have already spoken to Norfolk Police.

Do you ride at all Ian?

Do Larkin Gowen have a Cycle to Work scheme in place?

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eurotrash replied to farrell | 11 years ago
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farrell wrote:
Ian Fitch wrote:

I am Ian Fitch...

Do you ride at all Ian?

Do Larkin Gowen have a Cycle to Work scheme in place?

That's really quite irrelevant.

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farrell replied to eurotrash | 11 years ago
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eurotrash wrote:
farrell wrote:
Ian Fitch wrote:

I am Ian Fitch...

Do you ride at all Ian?

Do Larkin Gowen have a Cycle to Work scheme in place?

That's really quite irrelevant.

No it isn't.

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maldin replied to eurotrash | 11 years ago
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eurotrash wrote:
farrell wrote:
Ian Fitch wrote:

I am Ian Fitch...

Do you ride at all Ian?

Do Larkin Gowen have a Cycle to Work scheme in place?

That's really quite irrelevant.

I agree - it is irrelevant whether the company has a "cycle friendly" policy. What they should have is a policy of hiring decent people and by the actions of Ian, its pretty clear he does not approve of her alleged behaviour and hopefully will take action, based on the reputational damage she may have caused, once the police have completed their job. I think its pretty big of him to even make that announcement (how many delivery companies take such action?).

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farrell replied to maldin | 11 years ago
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maldin wrote:
eurotrash wrote:
farrell wrote:
Ian Fitch wrote:

I am Ian Fitch...

Do you ride at all Ian?

Do Larkin Gowen have a Cycle to Work scheme in place?

That's really quite irrelevant.

I agree - it is irrelevant whether the company has a "cycle friendly" policy.

Again, it's not.

There are more things in heaven and earth Horatio...

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Shaun replied to farrell | 11 years ago
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Clearly neither of your critics understand irony,i thought it was a clever question,might be interesting to suggest it to them (Larking Gowen) as a 'damage limitation' exercise.  39

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Shaun replied to farrell | 11 years ago
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farrell wrote:
maldin wrote:
eurotrash wrote:
farrell wrote:
Ian Fitch wrote:

I am Ian Fitch...

Do you ride at all Ian?

Do Larkin Gowen have a Cycle to Work scheme in place?

That's really quite irrelevant.

I agree - it is irrelevant whether the company has a "cycle friendly" policy.

Again, it's not.

There are more things in heaven and earth Horatio...

Clearly neither of your critics understand irony,i thought it was a clever question,might be interesting to suggest it to them (Larking Gowen) as a 'damage limitation' exercise.  39

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rickallison replied to Ian Fitch | 11 years ago
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Dear Ian
If found responsible for this act you should do the right thing and terminate her contract of employment, otherwise she will go through life thinking this is acceptable behaviour and bring the name of your company into disrepute.
Thank you
Rick Allison
NHS
Taunton

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Swindaloo | 11 years ago
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Seems she likely did hit someone. An Iceni Velo club member was knocked off and the Police were already alerted. More on it at http://ipayroadtax.com/no-such-thing-as-road-tax/i-knocked-a-cyclist-off...

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Lane71 (not verified) | 11 years ago
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Im sceptical about this case
Has a cyclist come forward and reported a hit and run in the area?
On the face of it,it appears to be the usual crap spouted by kids on the internet nowadays but even so it is tantamount to inciting violence towards cyclists

Whatever the facts i hope she is prosecuted and receives a criminal record but more than likely she will just get a slap on the wrist and a caution

Most motorists are considerate as they pass though giving plenty of room,as with anything,its a small minority of scum that cause and create problems and it only takes one idiot to end a cyclists life

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The _Kaner | 11 years ago
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Let's all hope its just some silly teenager acting the bollix! Although in no way do I condone this type of behaviour, if it is a 'jolly jape' on her part.

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pete666 | 11 years ago
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You are taught to carve up cyclists nowadays! Well, in my experience that seems to be the case. More learner drivers are inclined to pass too close than not. This just seems like the next step!

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Bez | 11 years ago
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"It appears #EmmaWay's tweet was NOT a joke. She hit an actual cyclist, from my local club! To be continued..." - https://twitter.com/RabAusten/status/336492505543610369

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Roberj4 | 11 years ago
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I've dropped EmmaWay20 a tweet just to let her know I'm a car tax payer (twice) and a cyclist too. Whether it get through all the 'twitter' traffic who knows?

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SevenHills | 11 years ago
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She started it!  3

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ricolek | 11 years ago
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Jesus, stop this anti-car propaganda already! I as a cyclist meet about ten times more dangerous cyclists than car drivers. If it wasn't for my brakes and reflexes, I would be beat up like a dead horse.

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sethpistol | 11 years ago
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she is extremely easy to find on facebook so doubt the police will have much trouble

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Cycle_Jim | 11 years ago
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I had someone attempt an overtake on a busy road near a beach, it is a downhill blind corner was doing 30mph down it (tis a 30) and an idiot in an audi tried to overtake, I waved him back and surprisingly he did actually drop back.
A bus came round the corner seconds later, if he'd have overtaken he would have collided head on. When we got to the beach he felt it was necessary to hurl abuse at me.
I just don't understand it! Why was this guy in such a rush on a sunday at 6pm!!!!

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adamtaylor | 11 years ago
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I hope it's just an unfunny joke. Who in their right mind would damage another person or person's property and drive off thinking you'd done no wrong?!

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spongebob | 11 years ago
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If the bike is damaged it's pretty much a guarenteed payout now!

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Jerm | 11 years ago
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Attempted murder requires an intention to kill.

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Tom Amos replied to Jerm | 11 years ago
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Jerm wrote:

Attempted murder requires an intention to kill.

Not necessarily. An intention to cause serious harm ie GBH. Very unlikely she'll be charged with that though, I agree.

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richred_uk | 11 years ago
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Seemingly her place of employment - if anyone local wants to avoid hiring her services accidentally

http://www.larking-gowen.co.uk/

http://www.bizea.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=967:...

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sfichele | 11 years ago
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There is also a photo tweet from her on the previous day complaining that a car in front was holding her up. Tweeting at the wheel. Then next day she says she has run over a cyclist

https://twitter.com/sfichele/status/336163669807349762/photo/1

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mrmo | 11 years ago
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it may not be true, but the speedo reading, etc. Does suggest a pattern.

If it is true i assume she will be prosecuted, it is afterall attempted murder. Car used as a weapon.

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shay cycles replied to mrmo | 11 years ago
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mrmo wrote:

If it is true i assume she will be prosecuted, it is afterall attempted murder. Car used as a weapon.

Agree with your sentiment but of course we all know that knocking off a cyclist either deliberately or accidentally (i.e. by being a prat rather than doing it on purpose)will not be viewed as attempted murder by the courts.

In deliberate cases it clearly should be but even then I've never heard of such a charge being made.

Blame the motorist for the offence then blame the legal system for allowing (almost encouraging) them.

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jollygoodvelo | 11 years ago
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Stupid little girl. I'm not sure which is worse, this sort of driver or the van drivers who see how close they can skim you.

Disclaimer: these people are a very small minority. Ride safe, folks.

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Karbon Kev | 11 years ago
0 likes

stupid cow

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