“First realisation” driver had of cyclist’s presence was when he hit his windscreen

A North Yorkshire motorist has been fined £510 but kept his licence following a collision in which he failed to see a cyclist on December 1 last year. Stephen Blackmore pleaded guilty to driving without due care at Teesside Magistrates’ Court. The cyclist was initially left in critical condition before later stabilising.

Gazette Live reports that a 50-year-old cyclist in a high-vis jacket was riding on the A174 eastbound towards the coast at around 6.30am when the collision took place.

Alan Davison, prosecuting, said: “The weather was not brilliant when the complainant was riding his bike. At that point, there are three lanes. The left-hand lane is a dedicated lane which goes off towards Acklam, the two outer lanes are the A174 itself.

“Mr Blackmore was driving a Volkswagen Golf on the inside lane. There was a bus in the central lane. The bus driver saw the cyclist. The witnesses were wondering what he was doing on that bit of the road.”

Davison said that Blackmore came up the inside, into the Acklam lane and the cyclist moved to the left. He added that the driver behind had then seen, “an explosion of debris.”

Davison said the “first realisation” Blackmore had of the cyclist’s presence was when he hit his windscreen.

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The cyclist was taken to James Cook University Hospital with serious abdominal injuries. His current condition – including whether he sustained long-term injuries – is not known.

In mitigation, Callum Terry said: “He simply didn’t see the cyclist. It is fair to say it has had a significant effect on him. He was off work for seven weeks and diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.”

Judge Kate Meek said: “Yes, the cyclist was there to be seen but he had positioned himself in a way that was problematic.

“The fault is yours so far as the accident is concerned and I know that is something that weighs heavily on you. There is no suggestion by anyone that your driving was dangerous.”

As well as the fine, Blackmore was ordered to pay £85 costs and £51 charges, and eight penalty points were added to his licence.