Driver who killed Deloitte Ride Across Britain cyclist admits series of mistakes

A driver who killed a charity cyclist takeing part in the 2014 edition of the Deloitte Ride Across Britain in Stirling has admitted making a series of mistakes which caused the incident. 77-year-old Kenneth McClelland hit Sally Preece after overtaking another vehicle without properly checking.

The Scotsman reports that Preece, aged 49 and from Cheltenham, was a week into the nine-day Land's End to John O'Groats ride when she was hit at around 11am on September 11, 2014 on the A85 close to Loch Earn.

Queen Victoria called the A85 “Scotland’s Khyber Pass” because of its bends and dramatic setting. While driving along it, McClelland admitted he had "failed to maintain proper observations, overtook when it was not safe to do so, entered into the opposing carriageway and struck Mrs Preece, who was travelling on a pedal cycle."

Preece was taken to Forth Valley Royal Hospital near Falkirk, but died the following day. The ride was to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society and donations on her Just Giving page subsequently passed £25,000 against her target of £4,000.

Sheriff William Gilchrist deferred sentence, and bailed McClelland to re-appear later this month.

Earlier the same month, another cyclist on an end-to-end ride, 34-year-old Anna Roots from London, was killed following a collision with an articulated lorry at Bettyhill, around 55 miles west of John O’Groats. She had been on a planned 12-day ride with a friend, raising money for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.