Motorist says injured cyclist was 'trying to cause an accident'

A motorist involved in a collision that hospitalised a cyclist didn’t stop afterwards because she didn’t think she had done anything wrong. Aimee Baty is accused of revving her VW Polo before swerving into Matthew Smith – but argues that Smith was deliberately trying to cause an accident.

The Chronicle reports that Baty is standing trial at Newcastle Crown Court accused of causing serious injury by dangerous driving for an incident that took place near the Premier Inn on City Road, in Newcastle, on December 21 2017.

Smith said he first had a run-in with Baty at traffic lights. Prosecutor Mark Giuliani said: "He was nearly knocked off his bike by the defendant as she failed to maintain lane discipline."

"I considered getting off the bike and going to hide somewhere," Smith told the court.

He instead carried on cycling and moments later heard revving.

"At that moment I realised I had made the wrong decision," he said. "My bike went forward and on to the path – I went vertically upwards.

"I knew then there was a major problem with my right leg but I just wanted to get off the road."

Smith spent two weeks in the Royal Victoria Infirmary with a fractured knee, and says he has still not recovered from the injury.

Baty was tracked down via her registration number which was captured on CCTV.

"When she got home, she did think about ringing the police but she didn't think she had done anything wrong," said Giuliani. "She just thought it would go away and didn't think she would hear anything about it."

Baty said she first noticed Smith when checking her blind spot before pulling out to the right in front of a pair of taxis that were pulling over.

She said she allowed him to pass, and as she approached the traffic lights, she saw him "in the middle of two lanes".

She said: "I just continued towards the lights, I was in the right lane, I was going to try and pass him before the lights. As I went to pass the cyclist, I was almost past him, I heard a bang on the back of my car."

She added: "I felt quite shocked. I didn't understand why he had hit the car.”

Baty then alleges that Smith came in front of her car, forcing her to do an emergency stop, after which she followed him through the junction.

"I thought he was trying to cause an accident, just based on him coming out in front of my car and stopping for no reason."

Passing him again, she heard a "scraping noise" and saw him fall off the bike in her mirror.

She said: "I then saw him jump up with his hands in the air and he appeared angry. I saw him jump up and I thought I'm not going to stop, based on the fact that he had hit my car and the fact that he had stopped in front of me. I felt slightly at risk."

The trial continues.

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