A cyclist who died after coming off his bike on Buttertubs Pass may have been trying to avoid a sheep, an inquest has heard. Patrick McDonough was airlifted to James Cook hospital in Middlesbrough on October 4 after being found by a passing motorist, but died the following day.
Gazette Live reports that McDonough, 59, was found at around 11.40am by Martin McNaught from Leeds about 200m from the hill’s summit on the road between Hawes and Muker.
McNaught, who parked his van across the road to protect the cyclist, said: “He was conscious but not able to say anything. There was no reception on my mobile phone and I remember holding it in the air and moving it around. I was quite panicked at that point.”
Other vehicles stopped and nearby police officers were alerted. A doctor passing the scene also attempted to assist McDonough.
No other vehicles or cyclists were involved and the weather and road conditions were good. Traffic Constable Steve Kirkbright from North Yorkshire Police also said that the road had been resurfaced the previous year for the Tour de France.
McDonough had been descending at about 34mph and was wearing a helmet. A mark was found on the road from the cyclist’s shoe and it is thought he most likely put his foot down while attempting to stop.
The road is surrounded by grazing and it was suggested that a sheep may have started to cross in front of him.
Assistant coroner for North Yorkshire Jonathan Heath said it was a tragic accident.
“We might never know what it was that caused him to stop so quickly. It could have been a sheep, it could have been a hare. It could have been anything. We may never know the cause but my opinion is that it was an accident which resulted in the tragic loss of Patrick.”
You don't need to: if you can't see it, it doesn't matter and anyway, you can drive over it.
Accepting low standards just allows decision-makers to claim they are doing something, whilst not actually delivering anything...
Thanks for the reminder. Must, book a trip to the bike shop for "ANOTHER" inspection. By the time they check it every year, it would have been...
SHEESH, THE PRICE OF GAS HAS GOTTEN HIGH!
Well it wasn't obvious to me, or I wouldn't have commented. I thought you were suggesting it shouldn't be possible to get MOT without VED....
Feels like theres some missing info with this story, but driver jailed for more than 3 years for driving whilst disqualified....
Most of the riders near me are UberEats/Deliveroo/JustEat riders riding recklessly, e.g. no lights at night, going through red lights, not stopping...
Locked up the front wheel the other day, just finished rebuilding the Good Bike and was taking her on the commute/shakedown ride. XTR Vs on ceramic...
Ah, Park Street - that lovely area of artisan merchants and free flowing traffic ...
The same "greedy" company who had to write off £33million of debt with GCN....