Court told that red light jumping cyclist left pedestrian with fractured skull

A court in London has been told that a cyclist riding through a red light was to blame for a partner at a law firm suffering injuries including a brain haemorrhage and fractured skull.

Clive Hyer, a partner at Rosenblatt’s solicitors, was crossing High Holborn just before 9am on 5 July last year when he was struck by 44-year-old cyclist Andrej Schipka of South Hampstead, reports The Daily Telegraph.

The newspaper said that Schipka, who is on trial at City of London Magistrates’ Court, denies the charge at careless cycling, was thrown over the handlebars of his bike in the incident, but escaped injury.

Prosecutor Varinder Hayre said: “Mr Hyer was crossing and walking from the north to the south side. A number of other pedestrians were also crossing.

“When he was in the centre of the carriageway he was struck and seriously injured, sustaining life-changing injuries, by the cyclist Mr Schipka, who was travelling eastbound at 26 miles per hour through red traffic lights,” she continued.

While the alleged speed of the cyclist, presumably established by police collision investigators studying CCTV footage shown to magistrates yesterday and other evidence, is relevant to this case, cyclists cannot be fined for speeding as such.

The speed limit on High Holborn in any event is 30mph, although last year the City of London revealed it was considering reducing the lomit to 20mph throughout the Square Mile, potentially including major routes such as this which are administered by Transport for London. The proposals were welcomed by the London Cycling Campaign.

Speaking of Mt Hyer's injuries, Mrs Hayre continued: “The victim sustained a fractured skull and a small bleed on the brain.”

Referring to Schipka, she went on: “We say he was cycling without due care and attention when approaching pedestrian crossing, by making no attempt to slow down, by failing to anticipate any pedestrian could step out, by failing to keep a proper lookout and by giving no consideration to the other road users.”

Police constable Philip Cook described how when he reached the scene of the incident, he found Mr Hyer in a dazed condition on the road.

The officer said that Schipka had told him: “I came down Holborn and people were waiting here to cross the street. When I came close to the crossover a couple of people ran over and he started moving out.

“I shouted and braked but it was too late. I collided with him and fell over the bars of my bike and lost my glasses.”

Schipka has denied careless cycling and the trial is continuing.