Driver steals cyclist’s phone after knocking her from bike – police attending say they shouldn’t have been called

A North Yorkshire cyclist has spoken on social media of how she was knocked from her bike by a teenage driver, who then stole her phone to prevent her from taking pictures – adding that two police officers who attended the incident said they shouldn’t have been called and the victim should have swapped details with the driver instead.

Allison Darling, from Knaresbrough, gave details of the incident, which happened on Saturday 4 September, in a series of posts on Twitter. Referencing a picture she’d posted earlier the same day, she said: “Just a few hours after I posted this I was knocked off my bike by a teenage driver.

“After hitting me from behind while I was stopped at a junction and catapulting me over the handlebars, he aggressively stole my phone so I couldn’t photo his number plate or the scene.

“If two other drivers hadn’t stopped (and also seen the phone theft) I’m certain he’d have driven off and left me alone in the road. To top it off @NYorksPolice (who were called by one of the witnesses) said they shouldn’t have been called, we should have ‘just swapped details’,” she continued.

She added: “Being knocked off your bike and having your phone aggressively stolen doesn’t apparently constitute a crime and the driver was free to leave. A week later, this is something I still can’t get my head around @NYorksPolice.”

Just a few hours after I posted this I was knocked off my bike by a teenage driver. After hitting me from behind while I was stopped at a junction and catapulting me over the handlebars, he aggressively stole my phone so I couldn’t photo his number plate or the scene … https://t.co/1tUxSI6r8v

— allison darling (@ajdc123) September 11, 2021

Being knocked off your bike and having your phone aggressively stolen doesn’t apparently constitute a crime and the driver was free to leave. A week later, this is something I still can’t get my head around @NYorksPolice

— allison darling (@ajdc123) September 11, 2021

She said that she was injured in the crash – though luckily no bones were broken – and added that “For clarity, it was the officers who attended who told me they shouldn’t have been called,” and “not control room.”

Given the injury as well as the driver taken her mobile phone, a number of people replying on Twitter urged her to contact North Yorkshire Police as well as the county’s police, fire and crime commissioner regarding the officers’ response.

In a tweet sent on Sunday, Ms Darling confirmed that she had spoken to the police control room and was due to speak to an officer on Monday about her concerns over the handling of the case.

In subsequent replies to people commenting on the incident, she also said that she had obtained the driver’s insurance details and that, as a British Cycling member, they were “providing legal support to try and recoup the costs for the damage to my bike.”

Philip Allot, the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire has also requested details of the incident from her so he can try and ascertain what went on.

Ms Darling follows road.cc on Twitter and we have sent her a direct message to find out if there has been any update, and will add her response to this story once we hear from her.