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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
Genuinely surprised people use the road tax thing. Easier to be angry at something than research it I guess.
I can't believe that not only does this Girl think it's ok to knock a cyclist off their bike but it's fine to bragg about it on twitter after.
Clearly she is a danger to everyone on the road and should be banned from driving for life... Or maybe thrown in to a pit full of angry bears... Excuse the last comment, this article has p****d me off
Followed this on Twitter and it's truly heartwarming to see the police doing something about it. Good stuff. Let's keep tabs on how it progresses...
Interesting case.
Presumably Daddy bought her her car and is also paying for the insurance. She was competent enough to pass her driving test but lacks the maturity and responsibility to drive. Tangential point but has anyone else noticed how strange it is to get abuse from women drivers? Most of them are very courteous but when I have had the odd bit of abuse, it really surprises me.
I'm not a fan of the cyclists v the world hyperbole, but this is a complete disgrace in all the ways possible.
Does she run over pedestrians crossing the road because 'they don't even pay road tax!'?
No doubt she will get let off by trying to blame some of her equally f***witted friends.
I see people like this every morning on my commute,
no respect for cyclists as road users!
I'm not sure what is taught with regards to cyclists in the highway code now but I definitley remember being told to overtake a cyclist as if it was a car...!!!
I've been undertaken when walking across one with a bicycle, already halfway across, any closer and she would have run me over.
I'd doubt she'd have stopped if she did.
Ticks all the boxes of a troll. 3 hooks in 1:
Knocked a cyclist off
Right of way by might
Doesn't pay road tax
Has anyone actually come forward as the victim as a result of this media coverage?
Not saying it isn't a real incident but it's all a bit reactionary to a tweet at the moment.
Can someone that daft actually pass a driving test? While out on a club run yesterday one driver screamed 'single file' at us as he over took us; we did not hold him up in any way. Why is everyone in such a hurry on a Sunday?
Yes definitely need to be wary here.
She could've left PC unattended and a friend may have played a gag on her.
Lets hope so anyway.
stupid cow
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.
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.
Because you are on a cycle, not a horse/tractor/large lorry or anything else which is enough of a threat to their car and life that they see any need to slow down and over take with caution, where and when it is safe to do so. I've given up counting the number of times cars have over taken on blind corners on the wrong side of the road, or to prevent doing so, have squeezed me nearly off the road to over take, all because they are too intolerant and ignorant of the consequences to wait a minute until it is safe to do so. I can't imagine them taking a chance if they were overtaking a horse or tractor, or if they knew there were on coming cars around the corner...
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.
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
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:...
Attempted murder requires an intention to kill.
If the bike is damaged it's pretty much a guarenteed payout now!
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?!
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!!!!
she is extremely easy to find on facebook so doubt the police will have much trouble
Not necessarily. An intention to cause serious harm ie GBH. Very unlikely she'll be charged with that though, I agree.
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.
She started it!
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?
"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
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!
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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