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Emma Way tweetUpdated: Norwich Police seek driver who tweeted about collision with cyclist
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
it beggars belief - we all have to cope with people like this on a daily basis - sadly I is unlikely after the drama subsides that anything effective will be done to this young woman - we see that happen too on far to regularly on these pages - lets hope that she will be more aware of others after this is over...
The legal system does not have the balls to deal with this. Prisons are overflowing so they will not imprison an individual such as this. And to take awaay their licence is futile as there is no guarantee that the same individual will actually never get in a car again or be caught driving unlicensed by an already stretch police force. And while cyber bullying is unexcusable, the social network has apparantly aaalready caused this girl to shut down her twitter account. Maybe just maybe she has learnt from her foolish tweet and will correct her attitudes and driving skills.
I'm not that old, but I grew up in a street where neighbours as well as my parents took a hand in discipline. Never physical but a really good ragging. And one of the most embarrassing things to happen was to be brought home in a police landrover. Try explaining that one away.
All I'll say is that I hope she's charged and convicted - but I'll not hold my breath
Kudos to road.cc to name her (I can almost see why Sky hid her name - but it is public knowledge once it's on Twitter).
It did make me think - in future if someone is angry at cyclists will we call it "driving the Emma Way?"
I'll get my cycling cape...
I suppose what's angered all the cyclists here is the likely outcome, she'll have a police interview, outcome... go figure that one out....i've been there, had the same half hearted treatment from local PSNI guys.. until the law changes, and we're treated as being the injured party every time, the police see cycle incidents/accidents as Casualty doctors view motorcyclists, potential donors.. and they don't care!!!.. i report them all... much good it does me.... I would press this cyclist to seek redress for repairs and injury damages through his legal people.. claim off the bitches insurance.. cause it doesn't look like the police will do much.. although i hope they do..
I don't know what the legal outcome will be, but her employer has responded which may or not lead her to re-think her career options. And her name is all over the Internet, even gracing the pages of the national newspapers - The Times had an article on it today - relaying mostly what is on here - probably used this site to compile the article. She's probably f**ked her life up for now, which, given this cyclist wasn't actually killed or seriously injured (luckily), is actually a shame. If anything comes out of it, hopefully that is, it might make some drivers who see cyclists as an annoyance to the point of knocking one off his/her bike for a laff think more carefully now before they feel the wrath of the twittersphere and cycling community even when the legal system might not do much. I think that is a pretty stiff punishment in itself.
Err who says all these women are tweeting anti cycling rants? Has anyone done a survey or are we assuming that @cyclehatred is genuine stuff? For a start clearly most of the tweets, if not all are wind ups & since there isn't evidence of wholesale cyclist murder going on then clearly it's winding up. However I can vouch for the bitter and twisted venom and dishonesty of the more determined & ardent cycling lobby as I am a victim of hatred tweet, so a lot of @cyclehatred will be contrived and from cyclists themselves.
Emma was just a tweeter and so far that's all she is. There are a lot of outstanding questions to these allegations. If she did hit & run, then she deserves all she gets, but if you follow the sequence from her twitter onwards, an alleged cycling accident was found to match her tweet. I hope that the police will keep that in mind.
In the meantime, she hasn't been charged yet, let alone to court. I suggest we all wait to see what transpires before commenting on this.
I doubt she has an ounce of regret, remorse for what she appears to have done, and she would probably do it again if she thought she could get away with it as she thought she would this time.
Deleting her twitter account says it all.
Thus speaks someone who's never ridden it!
The fens in the south west of Norfolk are flat, but there's a chalk ridge runs up through Norwich and along the north coast. Local radio says it was near Snettisham, which is near the west end of the ridge.
Agreed. Sounds like she definitely needs an introduction to the legal process via the Police/courts, but it's not for some raving lynch mob to decide whether she has a job afterwards. That's not due process, that's revenge. Clearly, if her employers decide that the negative PR is unacceptable, they may choose to take action, but that's their business, not ours.
This must have been the greatest feat of bike handling ever.
Or else sheer blind good luck. It's amazing she didn't kill him.
At least the BBC Norfolk news page on the main BBC site is addressing this - there's a paragraph separate to the story pointing out the myth of Road Tax. Although if they're still bleating about it on the radio show that probably confirms your suspicion it's all about the controversy
Noted a fair few "well, this wasn't very good... but cyclists are a bit rubbish" style comments
This.
Or if Ian is a cyclist and the company offers the cycle to work scheme, he could offer her some advice whilst her license holidays in Swansea and she might start to commute via bike.
We should be bombarding Nick's phone in demanding tax rebates because we pay enough tax for our roads but can't use motorways
As a.jumper said. Only part of Norfolk is flat. There are some cracking climbs round Dereham and heading north. Short and sharp but enough to make your legs know they are there
"The burden of proof rests on one who asserts, not one who denies"? She boasted about it on Social Media! I wouldn't like to see this person literally lynched or attacked with pitchforks, and agree the law should take its course, but a good cyberkicking won't do her any lasting harm.
It's hit the national media:
http://news.sky.com/story/1093752/drivers-twitter-boast-about-hitting-cy...
Happily, they also thought to include this bit (albeit at the end):
I do note, however, that it states he was taking part in a sportive at the time - no doubt this will be dragged into it as well - mass start events, racing, blah blah.
Comments on the story are not permitted - perhaps a wise move!
I disagree. Strongly. What you seem to be proposing is targeted cyber bullying of an individual (who is, let's not forget, yet to be found guilty of any offence). There are numerous cases where suicides have been linked to cyber bullying. What you propose is arguably as bad as the alleged crimes of this girl.
I suggest you take some time to read the Malicious Communications Act. It applies to you just as much as her, and I suspect that what you have posted breaches it just as flagrantly.
No. Sorry Rumpo, this really isn't ok. The legal system needs to deal with this (and indeed have the teeth to do so effectively), but what you are suggesting is nothing short of vigilantes taking revenge. It's not on.
I am NOT proposing we all join together and cyber bully this person, and I am aware of cases where children and adolescents have committed suicide. What I am saying is that the presumption of innocence until guilt is proven does not apply in this case, and that what she is experiencing is less traumatic to an adult than being hit by a car, by a person who then goes on to boast about it.
I know this is pretty serious but i had to
at the "there's bits of nettle in the chain" bit.
She going to loose her job?
Well played Ian
Pretty awful reputational damage to her employer and good of them to go out of their way to make a statement.
Perhaps some contribution to the sponsorship of the Tour Series event in Aylsham might also make amends
Good on you Ian Fitch.
Hear Hear
^
| This
Bet she votes UKIP too
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