Accidental death verdict in case of Guernsey cyclist crushed by lorry

The death of cyclist David Allison has been ruled accidental following an inquest, reports the BBC. Allison suffered serious chest injuries after he fell from his bike and went under the rear wheels of a lorry in Guernsey in 2013.

Allison, aged 59, was riding on a shared-use footpath at Salerie Corner, St Peter Port, when a lorry turned into a car park entrance. The cyclist braked, but was thrown under the vehicle.

Sergeant Sacha Yabsley, a police accident investigator, did not believe there had been any impact between Mr Allison and the near side of the truck, but noted that the mirrors’ arms had been cut down to bring the mirrors closer. The close proximity mirror on the near side also had no glass in the casing and Yabsley said that both of these factors "adversely effected" the view available.

The lorry's owner – Timothy Le Cheminant – was last month fined after being found guilty of using the lorry in a dangerous condition. However, Yabsley's report said it was likely that at the point of turn "Mr Allison or his cycle, or at the very least part of them, would have been visible".

The driver involved, Nigel Simon, was acquitted of causing death by dangerous driving as well as the lesser charge of driving without due care and attention in 2014 – Judge Sir Christopher Pitchers commenting at the time that there were a lot of variables in the case that would never become clear.

Pitchers did however criticise the layout of the road and cycle path where Allison was killed. The entrance to the car park has since been blocked by bollards. These are only removed to allow large boats to access the slipway into the QEII Marina.